Former President Donald Trump has made it unequivocally clear that his Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, will remain in her pivotal role, despite her revealing a series of blunt assessments about his administration in interviews with Vanity Fair magazine.
A Day of Dignity and Defiance
The controversy erupted on Tuesday morning when the Vanity Fair article was published, featuring eleven on-the-record interviews with Wiles. In one striking characterisation, the 68-year-old aide described her boss as having an "alcoholic's personality."
Despite the bombshell report, Wiles remained at Trump's side throughout the following day, Wednesday. She accompanied him from Washington, D.C., to Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an interpreter killed in an ambush in Syria. Hours later, she was present in the White House for his end-of-year remarks to the nation.
According to accounts of the post-speech conversation, Trump turned to Wiles after his sub-20-minute address and asked for her feedback. "I told you 20 minutes and you were 20 minutes on the dot," Wiles reportedly replied, underscoring the operational trust between them.
Public Support and Private Puzzlement
Upon returning from Delaware, Trump briefly addressed the press beside Air Force One. When directly questioned on whether Wiles would stay on as his Chief of Staff, he affirmed, "Yeah, she's doing a great job." Wiles was standing nearby, listening to the exchange.
However, senior administration officials revealed to the Wall Street Journal that Trump was not pleased with her decision to speak to Vanity Fair, a publication he claimed has "never [been] good to us." This private irritation stands in contrast to his public show of solidarity, which included a defence of Wiles in an interview with the New York Post just hours after the article went live.
An Unlikely Partnership in the Spotlight
The episode has fuelled speculation in Washington, D.C., given the stark contrasts between Trump and his top aide. Insiders describe Wiles, a mother of two adult daughters, as someone who rarely swears, attends church weekly, and is sparing with her words. She is known to avoid the capital's social scene, and her sharpest criticism is often phrased as the question, "Did you think that was helpful?"
This demeanour has left many baffled as to why she agreed to such extensive, unfiltered interviews. When asked about the "alcoholic's personality" comment, Trump offered his own interpretation, linking it to his well-known abstinence from alcohol. He explained he has a "possessive" and "addictive" personality, and cited the 1981 alcohol-related death of his older brother Fred as the reason he does not drink.
The interaction following his televised speech, where he sought her approval, served as a clear signal that, despite the Vanity Fair revelations, Susie Wiles retains the former president's confidence and remains a central figure in his inner circle.
