Motive's the mystery in Trump aide's remarks
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles gave a series of interviews to Vanity Fair but then criticized the story on social media, saying, “Significant context was disregarded.” Credit: Getty Images/Kevin Dietsch
Susie Wiles, the ever-loyal White House chief of staff, sat for a series of interviews with Vanity Fair. In them, she made sharp and critical assessments of President Donald Trump and others in his circle that are stunning the political world for their candor.
Highlights making the rounds, with glossy photos marking the term’s first year, include the trusted Wiles’ observations that Trump has “an alcoholic’s personality” without being an alcoholic, like her father, the late broadcaster Pat Summerall. And that Elon Musk is an avowed ketamine user. And that Trump falsely spoke of President Bill Clinton visiting sexual predator Jeff Epstein’s private island. And Attorney General Pam Bondi “whiffed” in her handling of the Epstein files and Russell T. Vought, the budget director, is a “right-wing absolute zealot.”
All that has been said by other sources. But this is confirmation from the president’s top aide, undoubtedly with prior approval. No, she says, Trump isn’t running for an unconstitutional third term in 2028 and says that to “drive people crazy.” As the person coordinating this operation, she makes it clear that there are conflicts within — rivalry between Vice President JD Vance, whom she calls a longtime conspiracy theorist, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and internal dissent over the wisdom and success of tariffs.
She said she was “initially aghast” at the devastation of the U.S. Agency for International Development and that “no rational person” could think Musk’s approach to it was a good one. She doesn’t say that, post-Musk, the administration will consider walking back the decision.
The unraveled mystery: Was Wiles somehow blowing a whistle on the unwieldy shop that she runs? Is she sending inside messages to others in the Trump circle through a public forum as the only way to be heard in this Oval Office? Why did she take this route to Vanity Fair publicity?
Trump’s ex-chief of staff John Kelly saw his role as setting guardrails on the president’s impulses and after their breakup likened him to a fascist. Clearly, Wiles doesn’t think so, or suggest there’s anything wrong with Trump’s autocratic style. She is a Trump loyalist who is not “only following orders” but carrying out his desires without apology.
Take for example Wiles’ quoted statements on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted a civil fraud case against Trump and the Trump Organization. Trump was initially ordered to pay nearly $500 million in penalties, later voided on appeal.
So Trump got his Justice Department to go after James over inaccurate filings for a mortgage for a house in Virginia she’d signed off on. The case was tossed out of court, but DOJ keeps trying to reinstate it. Wiles, while denying that all Trump’s legal actions against political nemeses were “retribution,” said the James case “might be the one retribution.” Asked if she advised Trump to back off, Wiles said, “Not on her. She had a half billion dollars of his money.”
So Wiles would not knock her boss for misusing prosecution to cut down individuals he dislikes. She’s still docile to a fault, to him.
As for the piece, on Tuesday she trashed it on social media saying: “Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out.”
Cabinet members formed a chorus on social media later Tuesday to praise Wiles. None dared assess the truth of Wiles’ quotes. All proclaimed solidarity and stayed mum on substance. It didn’t look like she’d be cast out soon.
Columnist Dan Janison’s opinions are his own.
Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
