White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Disputes Vanity Fair Article's Context
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has publicly challenged the contextual framing of statements attributed to her in a recent Vanity Fair article. Wiles, 68, holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff and played a key role in Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Article's Attributed Statements
The Vanity Fair piece, reportedly based on nearly a dozen interviews with Wiles, quoted her characterizing Donald Trump as having an "alcoholic's personality" and Vice President JD Vance as having been a "conspiracy theorist" for a decade.
Wiles's Response to Publication
Following the article's release, Wiles issued a statement on X, asserting that Vanity Fair had disregarded "significant context." She contended that this omission contributed to the creation of an "overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative" concerning the administration.
Scope of Interviews and Insights
During her interviews, Wiles reportedly discussed a range of topics, including the handling of Epstein files, President Trump's legal actions against political adversaries, and the personalities within the presidential circle. She acknowledged that there "may be an element of" retribution in Trump's efforts to pursue criminal cases against perceived foes, while clarifying, "I don't think he wakes up thinking about retribution. But when there's an opportunity, he will go for it."
Background and Perspective
Wiles is considered a prominent figure within Trump's potential second-term White House. Her professional history with Trump includes serving as his campaign manager in Florida in 2016 and heading his fundraising organization, Save America. She reportedly linked her ability to work with the president to her upbringing with an alcoholic father, stating, "High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. So I'm a little bit of an expert in big personalities." Regarding President Trump, Wiles reportedly noted that despite his non-consumption of alcohol, she described him as having "an alcoholic's personality" and a governing approach marked by the belief that "there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing."