US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his support for White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles following the publication of two Vanity Fair articles that revealed internal tensions within his administration and offered candid assessments of several top officials.
Speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday, Trump said he had “full confidence” in Wiles, describing her performance as “fantastic.” Trump has often referred to Wiles as the “most powerful woman in the world.”
The Vanity Fair pieces were based on extensive interviews with Wiles, providing rare insight into her views on Trump’s leadership style and the dynamics of his second presidency.
In one of the most striking remarks, Wiles described Trump—who does not drink alcohol—as having “an alcoholic’s personality,” citing his intense drive, belief in his own invincibility, and tendency toward vengeance against perceived enemies. She explained that growing up with an alcoholic father helped prepare her to manage “big personalities.”
Trump responded by agreeing with the characterization, saying he has often acknowledged that he possesses a “very possessive personality” and that if he drank alcohol, he would likely be an alcoholic.
On the administration’s delayed release of information related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Wiles suggested that Attorney General Pam Bondi failed to appreciate the level of public interest in the matter. She criticized Bondi for initially releasing “binders full of nothingness,” while noting that Vice President JD Vance better understood the issue’s significance, describing him—jokingly—as “a conspiracy theorist.”
Wiles also acknowledged that Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files but insisted the documents do not show him engaging in “anything awful.”
The interviews included sharp assessments of other officials, with Wiles reportedly calling Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought a “right-wing absolute zealot” and describing tech billionaire Elon Musk as an “odd, odd duck.”
On foreign policy, Wiles said Trump believes Russian President Vladimir Putin ultimately wants control of all of Ukraine, despite ongoing US efforts to push for a peace agreement. She also confirmed that Trump supports continued bombing of suspected drug-trafficking boats off Venezuela’s coast until President Nicolás Maduro “cries uncle.”
Following the publication, Wiles pushed back strongly, calling the Vanity Fair coverage a “disingenuously framed hit piece” that selectively quoted her remarks and omitted crucial context.
Several members of Trump’s inner circle came to her defense. Vice President JD Vance said he had never seen Wiles act disloyally toward the president, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised her as “incredible” and accused Vanity Fair of bias. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also voiced his support, declaring on X that there was “absolutely nobody better” than Wiles.
“I’m not an enabler. I’m also not a bitch,” Susie Wiles tells @ccwhip. “I guess time will tell whether I’ve been effective.”https://t.co/zuubdyCAdT pic.twitter.com/klWZOjss97
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) December 16, 2025
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