President Donald Trump has publicly defended his White House chief of staff Susie Wiles after a revealing series of interviews sparked controversy across Washington. The 68-year-old, who made history as the first woman to hold the position, gave 11 on-the-record interviews to journalist Chris Whipple throughout 2025, resulting in a two-part Vanity Fair profile published on Dec. 16, 2025.
The interviews contained remarkably candid assessments of Trump and his inner circle, including descriptions that initially raised eyebrows but ultimately received backing from both the president and key administration figures. Wiles described Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality,” a characterization that Trump himself validated in an exclusive interview with the New York Post on the same day the profile was published.
Trump, who does not drink alcohol, told the newspaper that Wiles was correct in her assessment. “No, she meant that I’m — you see, 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,” Trump said. The president’s abstinence from alcohol stems from the 1981 death of his brother, who died at 42 from alcohol-related issues. Trump said he’s fortunate not to be a drinker, acknowledging he could very well have developed problems given his personality type.
In the Vanity Fair interviews, Wiles drew on personal experience when making the comparison. Her father, Pat Summerall, was an alcoholic. She explained to Whipple that high-functioning alcoholics have exaggerated personalities when drinking, and described Trump as operating with a view that there’s nothing he can’t do. Wiles called herself “a little bit of an expert in big personalities.”
The profile also included sharp assessments of other administration figures. Wiles called Vice President JD Vance a conspiracy theorist who has held such views for a decade, and described his conversion from Never Trumper to MAGA supporter as being politically motivated. She characterized tech entrepreneur Elon Musk as an “odd duck” and discussed Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, saying she mishandled the situation.
Despite the controversial nature of the comments, key administration officials quickly rallied to Wiles’ defense. Vance addressed reporters in Pennsylvania, admitting there was truth to Wiles’ characterization while defending her loyalty. He said the two have joked about the conspiracy theorist label both privately and publicly for some time. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt backed Wiles during a Fox News appearance, calling her the best chief of staff in the nation’s history working for the greatest president.
Trump told the New York Post he hadn’t read the Vanity Fair article but emphasized that Wiles has done a fantastic job in her role. When asked if he had full confidence in her, the president responded that she’s fantastic. He suggested the interviewer was purposely misguided and that the facts in the piece were wrong, though he acknowledged not having reviewed it himself.
Wiles herself pushed back against the coverage, calling the article a hit piece on social media. She wrote that significant context was disregarded and much of what she and others said about the president and team was left out of the story. The chief of staff suggested this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the administration.
The interviews also covered controversial administration actions, including attempted prosecutions of Trump critics. Wiles discussed charges brought against New York Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud and former FBI Director James Comey for testimony-related offenses. A judge dismissed both indictments. When asked about the James case, Wiles acknowledged it might be retribution. “When there’s an opportunity” for Trump to take retribution, Wiles said, “he will go for it.”
The first interview between Wiles and Whipple took place on Jan. 11, 2025, a week before Trump’s inauguration. Throughout the year, the conversations spanned numerous administration crises and policy decisions. The resulting profile provides an unusually transparent look inside a White House operation typically known for carefully controlled messaging. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Wiles’ bond with Trump as an earned trust, while Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was also mentioned as part of her core team.
Wiles’ approach to the chief of staff position differs markedly from Trump’s first-term chiefs, who often sought to control access to the president. She has described her role as facilitating Trump’s vision rather than constraining his impulses, a philosophy that appears to have earned her unusual longevity and influence in an administration known for rapid turnover.
Sources:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1
https://nypost.com/2025/12/16/us-news/trump-stands-by-chief-of-staff-susie-wiles-after-bombshell-vanity-fair-interviews-admits-he-has-alcoholics-personality/
https://apnews.com/article/susie-wiles-interview-donald-trump-a9b42bf0580f9ebdf93a45e7d19382f5
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/17/susie-wiles-what-top-trump-aide-said-in-her-vanity-fair-interview
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-susie-wiles-vanity-fair-james-comey-letitia-james-retribution-rcna249466