President Donald Trump has personally intervened to defend his White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, following a revealing profile in Vanity Fair magazine where she offered candid remarks about the president and his inner circle.
Trump Addresses 'Alcoholic's Personality' Comment
In an interview with the New York Post on Tuesday, President Trump moved to clarify comments made by Wiles, in which she reportedly said he had an "alcoholic's personality." Trump stated he was not offended by the characterisation, linking it to his own long-stated views on his personality.
"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," Trump told the paper. He described himself as having a "very possessive personality."
Wiles had made the comparison during an interview with journalist Chris Whipple, suggesting that high-functioning alcoholics have "exaggerated" personalities when they drink, adding "I'm a little bit of an expert in big personalities." Her late father, the legendary sportscaster Pat Summerall, struggled with alcoholism.
Trump's defence referenced his older brother, who died from complications associated with alcoholism, a key reason the president abstains from drinking. "I've said that many times myself. I'm fortunate I'm not a drinker," Trump reiterated.
White House Condemns 'Disingenuous Reporting'
The White House press team launched a robust defence of the Chief of Staff, criticising the Vanity Fair article's author. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed reporters on the White House driveway, accusing the publication of bias and taking Wiles's words out of context.
"This is, unfortunately, another example of disingenuous reporting," Leavitt stated. She claimed the reporter "took the chief of staff's words wildly out of context" and engaged in a "bias of omission."
Leavitt asserted that comments from other administration figures who spoke to Whipple were excluded because they did not fit a "false narrative of chaos and confusion." She left the impromptu briefing as journalists shouted questions, including whether she wanted Whipple to release the full interview tapes.
Contentious Details from the Vanity Fair Profile
The Vanity Fair profile contained several eyebrow-raising critiques from Wiles about other figures within Trump's orbit. Notably, she mocked former Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
"First she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk," Wiles told Whipple.
The Chief of Staff also addressed the Epstein files, confirming Trump's name appears within them while downplaying any significant information on former Democratic President Bill Clinton's connections. "There is no evidence that Clinton visited Epstein's island," Wiles said, adding, "The president was wrong about that."
President Trump told the New York Post he had not read the full two-part Vanity Fair series, dismissing the publication. "I didn't read it, but I don't read Vanity Fair - but she's done a fantastic job," he said of Wiles, suggesting the facts were wrong and the interviewer was "purposely misguided."
Chris Whipple has not yet publicly responded to the White House's criticisms following requests for comment.
