President Donald Trump moved quickly to back White House chief of staff Susie Wiles after a Vanity Fair article attributed several blunt observations to her, arguing that her comments were distorted and that the piece itself was unfair.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said he has previously described himself as having a “possessive and addictive personality,” pushing back on reporting that Wiles had compared his temperament to an “alcoholic’s personality.” Trump said he doesn’t drink and added that he’s made similar remarks about himself repeatedly.
Trump also said he had not read the full Vanity Fair article and doesn’t read the magazine, but he offered an unambiguous endorsement of Wiles, saying she has his full confidence and calling her “fantastic.”
Why It Matters
As a central figure in the West Wing, the chief of staff often operates in the background—present for high-stakes meetings, briefings, and delicate conversations with foreign officials—while shaping how the administration functions day to day. Wiles is the first woman to hold the role, and her interview, published Tuesday, provided an unusually detailed view of internal debates and decision-making. Wiles later said the story was “disingenuously framed,” while Trump’s comments signaled he was standing by her and downplaying the controversy.
What to Know
Speaking to the Post on Tuesday, Trump defended Wiles’ work and instead criticized the reporter, Chris Whipple.
“I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer, purposely misguided,” Trump said.
After the article published earlier in the day—covering topics including divides over Trump’s tariff policy, White House renovations, and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Epstein files—Wiles posted on X calling it a hit piece. She said significant context had been ignored and that many of her comments were taken out of context, though she did not deny making them.
On Epstein, Wiles told the magazine she had underestimated the fallout involving the disgraced financier and criticized how Bondi managed the case and the public’s expectations. She also said at one point that Trump’s tariffs had been more painful than expected, acknowledged missteps in the administration’s mass deportation program, and suggested that Trump’s retribution campaign against perceived political enemies has extended beyond what she initially wanted.
At the same time, Wiles—who managed Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign—generally defended the president’s second-term direction. The interview portrayed her as supportive of his aggressive agenda, including a claim that Trump wants to keep bombing alleged drug boats in waters off the coast of Venezuela until that country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, “cries uncle.”
Wiles is known for avoiding the spotlight, making the length and candor of the interview notable. Vanity Fair said it had been speaking with Wiles since just before Trump took office last January, and that the reporting also included other White House staff and Cabinet members. Trump, however, told the Post that the access amounted to only a few short interviews.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, speaking to The New York Post: “If anybody knows the interviewer, and if they know Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair is a totally — it’s lost its way. It’s also lost its readers, as you know. No, she’s fantastic.”
Susie Wiles, on X Tuesday: “The article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history. Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team.”
Brian Stelter, media analyst and former Vanity Fair writer, on X: “The fact-checking process is INTENSE. Editors and fact-checkers probe your sourcing, your framing, your quotes. Thus Susie Wiles knew this story was coming and knew the quotes were legit. She can object to “context” but not quotes.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, on X: “My dear friend (Susie Wiles) fights every day to advance President Trump’s agenda – and she does so with grace, loyalty, and historic effectiveness. Any attempt to divide this administration will fail. Any attempt to undermine and downplay President Trump’s monumental achievements will fail. We are family. We are united.”
What’s Next
By Tuesday afternoon, administration officials publicly rallied around Wiles and indicated the Vanity Fair profile would not change their focus, portraying the internal response as unified and dismissive of the article’s impact.
