White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has disputed parts of a Vanity Fair article that quoted her making critical remarks about the Trump administration, former President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Wiles reportedly described Donald Trump as having an "alcoholic's personality" and Vice President JD Vance as a "conspiracy theorist" for a decade. She also commented on Trump's pursuit of legal cases against political adversaries, stating there "may be an element of" retribution, though adding, "I don't think he wakes up thinking about retribution. But when there's an opportunity, he will go for it."
Following the publication, Wiles posted on X, stating that Vanity Fair had disregarded "significant context" in her nearly dozen interviews, leading to "an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative" about the administration.
Wiles, 68, served a key role in Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and became the first woman to hold the position of White House Chief of Staff. Her history with Trump includes managing his Florida campaign in 2016 and leading his fundraising efforts through Save America. She attributed her ability to work with what she described as Trump's "big personality" 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." She noted that while President Trump does not consume alcohol, she perceives his governing mindset as having an "alcoholic's personality," believing "there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing."