President Donald Trump is not only defending White House chief of staff Susie Wiles after she said her boss had an "alcoholic's personality," he's defending the comment itself.
The New York Post reported Tuesday that Wiles continues to have the full support of the president despite her comments, in which she dished on both Trump and top administration personnel. Trump the the Post that while he doesn't drink alcohol or abuse substances, he does have personality traits seen in addicts.
"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. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It’s a very possessive personality," Trump told the outlet.
"I’ve said that many times about myself. I’m fortunate I’m not a drinker," he continued. "If I did, I could very well, because I’ve said that — what’s the word? Not possessive — possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I’ve said it many times, many times before."
The president added that while he hadn't personally read the interview, he maintained that Wiles was a "fantastic" chief of staff, and argued that Vanity Fair's Chris Whipple, who conducted multiple interviews, misrepresented her comments and took them out of context.
"If anybody knows the interviewer, and if they know Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair is a totally — it’s lost its way. It’s also lost its readers, as you know. No, she’s fantastic," Trump said.
While speaking to Whipple, Wiles called herself "an expert in big personalities" having grown up as the daughter of former New York Giants kicker Pat Summerall, who later became an alcoholic before eventually becoming sober for the final 21 years of his life. In addition to Trump, Wiles also commented on Vice President JD Vance, who she said has been a "conspiracy theorist for a decade." She also said that Attorney General Pam Bondi handled the Jeffrey Epstein files poorly.
Click here to read the Post's full report.
