The president's right hand reveals the behind-the-scenes of Trump's policy. “He has the personality of an alcoholic”
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles admitted in a series of interviews for “Vanity Fair” that US President Donald Trump is taking revenge on political opponents. She also criticized a number of Trump's decisions and said that he has an “alcoholic personality” and that Elon Musk takes ketamine.
Wiles also said that according to Trump, Russian leader Vladimir Putin does not want peace, but wants all of Ukraine.
The unexpectedly honest and critical statements of a key official organizing the work of the White House appeared in a Vanity Fair article published on Tuesday, based on 11 interviews with Wiles conducted since Trump's electoral victory in 2024. Wiles criticized a number of key decisions and policies of the Trump administration in an interview with journalist Chris Whipple, known for his interviews with Wiles' predecessors.: from the “painful” introduction of tariffs on goods from all over the world, through the approach to the deportation of immigrants.
The president's top adviser also admitted that while pursuing her critics, including: former FBI Director James Comey or New York Attorney General Letitia James, Trump wanted to “settle the score”.
“We have a loose understanding that the settlement will be completed within the first 90 days,” Wiles said in an early interview. Later – after that date – she claimed that Trump was not motivated by revenge, but if he saw an opportunity, he would take it.
On Russia's war with Ukraine and pressure on Venezuela, Wiles presented matters in a different way than Trump and the White House do publicly. Speaking about her boss's relationship with Putin, the official admitted that she initially considered Trump's approach to be one of friendship or admiration, but her experiences during his second term changed her opinion.
– The phone conversations we had with Putin were very mixed. Some of them were friendly and some were not, she said.
Contrary to Trump's claims that Putin wants peace, Wiles said – before the August summit in Alaska – that the president believes that Putin is not interested in ending the war, but in conquering all of Ukraine. This view was also shared by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Speaking about the public row during the Ukrainian president's February visit to the White House, Wiles said it was the result of growing tensions with the Ukrainians, provoked by their indecent behavior, including Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal to sign the minerals agreement and his refusal to meet with Finance Minister Scott Bessent in Kiev.
I wouldn't say JD (Vance) snapped because he's too composed for that. But I think he's simply had enough, she said, referring to Zelensky's public scolding by the US vice president.
Speaking about the campaign of attacks on drug smugglers' boats, Wiles revealed, contrary to the official narrative, that it is part of a strategy aimed at overthrowing the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
– He (Trump) wants to blow up boats until Maduro gives up. And people much smarter than me say that he (Maduro) did itand – she pointed out.
Wiles also admitted that she was against introducing high tariffs on products from all countries in the world as part of “liberation day”, describing the process of deciding on this issue as “thinking out loud”. She said that the Trump administration was sharply divided on the issueon, and next to her, Vice President Vance tried to distract the president from it. Ultimately, she assessed that the tariffs issue was “much more painful” than she expected.
In interviews with VF, Wiles also spoke about an overly aggressive approach and mistakes regarding the deportation of immigrants and criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for approach to the issue of disclosing Jeffrey Epstein's files. She admitted that Trump's name appears on Epstein's flight manifests and flight manifests on Epstein's plane, nicknamed the Lolita Express, but that he did not do “anything terrible.” Contrary to Trump's claims, Wiles also said there was no evidence of illegal conduct by Bill Clinton.
– The president was wrong on this matter – she said. However, she added that among the people who quickly realized the error in the approach to the Epstein case was Vance, who “has been a supporter of conspiracy theories for decades.”
The White House chief of staff also criticized the way the aid agency USAID was dismantled Elon Musk, whom she called a “freak”confirming reports that he is taking ketamine.
Wiles, the daughter of famous sportscaster Pat Summerall, who was an alcoholic, joked that she was an “expert in big personalities” and said she also Trump – although he is a teetotaller – has an 'alcoholic personality'. – He operates with the idea that there is nothing he cannot do. Nothing, zero, nothing, she emphasized.
The president's adviser's statements to “Vanity Fair” caused great surprise, because so far she had avoided publicity in the media. He is also one of the most influential and closest people around Trump. Trump himself has repeatedly called her “the most influential woman in the world” and called her “Susie Trump”.
Wiles, the first woman in history to head the White House, herself suggested that she was irreplaceable, agreeing with Marc Rubio's opinion on the matter. “Not to pat myself on the back, but recognizing the reality of this president at this time, I'm not sure who else could be doing this,” she said.
After the article appeared in Vanity Fair, Wiles accused the magazine of “an unfair attack on her, the best president, White House staff and cabinet in history.”
“Important context was ignored, and much of what I and others said about the team and the president was omitted from the text. After reading, I conclude that this was intended to create an overwhelmingly disjointed and negative narrative about the president and our team,” she wrote in a post on Platform X. Trump has not yet commented on the matter.
Trump defended Wiles and admitted that he has an “alcoholic personality”
US President Donald Trump defended White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in light of her critical statements about his administration's policies to Vanity Fair. He agreed with Wiles' assessment that he had an “alcoholic personality” and was susceptible to addictions.
Trump commented on the famous Vanity Fair article based on interviews with Wiles in an interview with the New York Post tabloid.
“I haven't read it, I don't read Vanity Fair, but she does a fantastic job,” the president said. – I think that from what I hear, they were wrong about the facts, the author of the interview was very deceptive, he deliberately deceived (her) – he added.
However, he admitted that his key adviser was right when she said that Trump had an “alcoholic personality,” just like her late father, sports commentator Pat Summerall.
– I've said this about myself many times. I'm lucky I don't drink. If I drank, I could – how do they say? Not possessive – I have a possessive and addictive personality type. “Oh, I've said it many, many times before,” said Trump, whose older brother Fred was an alcoholic who died at the age of 42.
From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)
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