White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' Candid Remarks About Trump and Administration Dynamics Spark Controversy

President Trump affirmed his support for Chief of Staff Susie Wiles following her candid interview with Vanity Fair where she remarked that he possesses an "alcoholic's personality" despite being a teetotaler.

In the extensive profile, Wiles made notable observations about several key administration figures, describing Vice President JD Vance as a "conspiracy theorist" and characterizing tech mogul Elon Musk as an "odd, odd duck."

Trump has previously referred to Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff, as the "ice maiden" and credited her instrumental role in advancing his second administration behind the scenes.

The 68-year-old Wiles found herself thrust into the spotlight after the Vanity Fair article, based on multiple interviews with seasoned political journalist Chris Whipple conducted over the past year.

Responding to the publication, Wiles dismissed it as a "disingenuously framed hit piece," claiming the magazine attempted to "paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative" about Trump's team while disregarding significant context.

Trump himself told the New York Post that Wiles' assessment of his personality was accurate, explaining: "I don't drink alcohol. So everybody knows that -- but I've often said that if I did, I'd have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It's a very possessive personality."

He added that Wiles had "done a fantastic job."

In the Vanity Fair piece, Wiles, whose father Pat Summerall struggled with alcoholism, stated that Trump "operates (with) a view that there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing."

During the extensive interviews, Wiles clarified she was "not an enabler" to Trump, who has demonstrated unprecedented presidential authority since returning to power, adding "I'm also not a bitch."

Regarding Elon Musk's role heading the Department of Government Efficiency, Wiles described the billionaire as a "complete solo actor" and "avowed" ketamine user, criticizing DOGE's decision to shut down the USAID international aid department.

"No rational person could think the USAID process was a good one," Vanity Fair quoted her as saying.

While praising what she termed a "core team" including Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Wiles noted that Vance had been "a conspiracy theorist for a decade" regarding the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Trump's chief of staff offered pointed remarks about Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying she "completely whiffed" on the promised release of documents about convicted sex offender Epstein to right-wing influencers.

She described Russ Vought, who leads the White House Office of Management and Budget, as a "right-wing absolute zealot," according to Vanity Fair.

The magazine reported that Wiles provided revealing insights into Trump's approach to key domestic and foreign policy matters.

She mentioned having a "loose agreement" with Trump to cease the "score settling" against political enemies after 90 days, even as he continues targeting opponents with calls for prosecution.

On Ukraine, Wiles indicated that Trump believes Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants the whole country," despite Washington's efforts to broker a peace agreement.

Senior Trump cabinet members publicly defended Wiles and criticized the Vanity Fair article.

Vance acknowledged during a speech in Pennsylvania that he and Wiles had "joked in private and in public" about conspiracy theories, adding: "We have our disagreements, we agree on much more than we disagree, but I've never seen her be disloyal to the president of the United States."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his support on X, stating there was "absolutely nobody better!"

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Wiles was "incredible" and accused Vanity Fair of the "bias of omission."