White House lashes out at 'hit piece' report backed by recordings of Trump’s chief of staff

On Tuesday, Vanity Fair published an extensive series of interviews with Donald Trump's White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, in which she made numerous unflattering comments about major figures in the administration. In response, Wiles herself and several other White House officials hit back, slamming the report as a "hit piece" and accusing the outlet of misrepresenting her words.

The interviews between Wiles and Vanity Fair's Chris Whipple were conducted over the course of the first 11 months of Trump's second term and produced many notably candid comments. She refers to Trump as having an "alcoholic's personality" and operating with "a view that there’s nothing he can’t do." She said Vice President JD Vance has "been a conspiracy theorist for a decade" and changed his stance from Trump critic to supporter out of a political calculation, rather than a change in principles. She also described businessman and one-time Trump advisor Elon Musk as "an avowed ketamine" user and "an odd, odd duck" whose irrational behavior left her "aghast."

As the comments made waves online and beyond, Wiles took to her official account on X to slam Whipple's article as a "disingenuously framed hit piece."

"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. "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."

Wiles notably did not deny making the comments included in the Vanity Fair piece.

Speaking with the New York Times on Monday about the interviews, Wiles disputed the quotes attributed to her about Musk's drug use, but the outlet stated that Whipple had shared with it a recording of her saying it as quoted.

Soon after that post, other prominent Trump officials also took to X with similar statements, including Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, whom Wiles was quoted in by Whipple as calling "a right-wing absolute zealot."

"Susie Wiles is an exceptional chief of staff," Vought wrote. "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 towards accomplishing what he wants to accomplish. In my portfolio, she is always an ally in helping me deliver for the president. And this hit piece will not slow us down."

"I have worked under three chiefs across two Trump administrations, and without a doubt, Susie Wiles has led the most effective, efficient, and unified White House and administration—second to none," Harrison Fields, a White House principal deputy press secretary, wrote. "Her service to the President is selfless, and her mandate to serve is rooted in allegiance to God, the President, and the millions of Americans who elected him. Any attempt to selectively or maliciously attack her leadership is shameful and entirely without merit."

"Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history," White House lead press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote. "President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie. The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her."