White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has publicly disputed elements of a recent Vanity Fair article, asserting that it lacked "significant context" and created an "overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative" regarding the Trump administration. Wiles expressed her disagreement with the portrayal in a post on X.
Disputed Claims and Context
The Vanity Fair article, based on nearly a dozen interviews with Wiles, attributed several statements to her concerning Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. These included describing Trump as possessing an "alcoholic's personality" and characterizing Vance as having been a "conspiracy theorist" for a decade.
Wiles provided context for her comparison of Trump's personality, referencing her upbringing with an alcoholic father. She stated, "High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink." She elaborated that while President Trump does not consume alcohol, he exhibits an "alcoholic's personality" and operates with a mindset that "there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing."
Administration Insights and Wiles's Role
The interviews also touched on various other subjects, such as the handling of Epstein files and Trump's legal actions against political rivals. Wiles acknowledged that there "may be an element of" retribution in Trump's pursuit of criminal cases, adding, "I don't think he wakes up thinking about retribution. But when there's an opportunity, he will go for it."
Susie Wiles, 68, holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff. She played a pivotal role in Donald Trump's successful 2024 presidential campaign. Her extensive history with Trump includes serving as his campaign manager in Florida in 2016 and heading his fundraising organization, Save America.