Susie Wiles attacks Vanity Fair article on Trump admin: "hit piece"

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, right, stands as President Donald Trump arrives at an “Invest in America” roundtable with business leaders at the White House, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Washington.

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Daniel Orton Shane Croucher

By Daniel Orton and Shane Croucher

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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles lashed out at Vanity Fair after it published an article based on months of conversations with her in which she talked candidly about the Trump administration and its top officials.

In the article, Wiles is quoted as saying President Donald Trump had "an alcoholic’s personality" and that Attorney General Pam Bondi had "completely whiffed" in her initial handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation files.

"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 said in a statement posted to X.

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"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."

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, right, stands as President Donald Trump arrives at an "Invest in America" roundtable with business leaders at the White House, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Washington.

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Wiles’ lengthy participation in the interviews added context to ongoing debates about American foreign policy—specifically strikes on alleged drug boats in Venezuelan waters and the Trump administration’s stance on government transparency regarding the Epstein files. The article also probed internal White House views on retribution against political opponents, to which Wiles noted a "loose agreement" with Trump that the so-called "score settling" would end before 90 days into his second term, though this apparently extended beyond that initial timeline.

Many of Wiles' White House colleagues came out to defend her in the wake of the article's publication.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X: "President Trump has no greater or more loyal adviser than Susie. The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her."

And Office of Management and Budget chief Russell Vought, who Wiles branded "a right-wing absolute zealot," called her an "exceptional chief of staff" in a post on X.

"I have had the privilege of working in President Trump's White House for every single minute of his two terms. Let me be very clear: It has never worked this well or been more oriented toward accomplishing what he wants to accomplish. In my portfolio, [Susie Wiles] is always an ally in helping me deliver for the president. And this hit piece will not slow us down," he added.