White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has launched a fierce counterattack against a major media publication, labelling a recent interview series as a deliberately misleading "hit piece" that distorted her comments and the administration's work.
Wiles Fires Back on Social Media
The controversy erupted after Vanity Fair published an extensive series of interviews on Tuesday, December 16, conducted by journalist Chris Whipple. The report covered the first eleven months of President Donald Trump's second term and included candid remarks attributed to Wiles about several key figures. As excerpts spread online, Wiles responded with a lengthy post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
"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," Wiles wrote. She accused the magazine of selectively editing her statements, arguing that "significant context was disregarded" and positive comments about the team were omitted. Wiles suggested the framing was intentional, designed to "paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team."
Defending Trump's 'Unmatched Leadership'
In her defence, Wiles vigorously championed President Trump's accomplishments. She claimed the administration's successes were being unfairly overlooked by the media narrative. "The truth is the Trump White House has already accomplished more in eleven months than any other President has accomplished in eight years," she asserted.
She credited this progress solely to "the unmatched leadership and vision of President Trump," adding that it has been an honour to work for him for nearly a decade. Wiles concluded her post with a rallying cry for the administration's signature agenda: "None of this will stop our relentless pursuit of Making America Great Again!"
Explosive Claims and Administration Backing
The Vanity Fair report contained several provocative quotes attributed to the Chief of Staff. It claimed she described President Trump as having an "alcoholic's personality" and a belief that "there's nothing he can't do." The article also quoted her criticising Vice President JD Vance, calling him a long-time "conspiracy theorist" whose support for Trump was politically calculated.
Further, the report stated Wiles commented on Attorney General Pam Bondi's understanding of the Republican base regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files. Some of the most attention-grabbing remarks were about billionaire Elon Musk, whom Wiles allegedly described as an "avowed ketamine user" and an "odd, odd duck" whose behaviour left her "aghast."
Following Wiles's public rebuttal, a wave of senior Trump administration officials rallied to her defence. Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget—who was himself quoted in the article—dismissed the portrayal. "Susie Wiles is an exceptional chief of staff," Vought stated, emphasising the White House's efficiency.
Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also voiced strong support. Fields called it "the most effective, efficient, and unified White House and administration," while Leavitt credited Wiles for helping achieve "the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history." The unified front signals a concerted effort by the administration to control the narrative and shut down critical media reports.
