President Donald Trump and multiple members of his Cabinet publicly defended White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles after a Vanity Fair article portrayed the administration in a negative light.
The Vanity Fair cover story, written by Chris Whipple, followed months of access to the West Wing and focused on Wiles’ role during what the article described as repeated “moments of crisis” during Trump’s first eleven months back in office. The piece depicted Wiles as a powerful gatekeeper and framed internal debates and strong personalities as signs of chaos.
The article included unflattering descriptions and photos of senior officials, including Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others. Several aides were labeled “pit bulls,” and comments attributed to Wiles suggested skepticism toward Vice President Vance’s political evolution.
Wiles responded on X, calling the article a “disingenuously framed hit piece” that omitted key context to portray the administration as dysfunctional. She said the Trump White House has accomplished more in eleven months than previous administrations did in years, crediting Trump’s leadership and vision. She emphasized that the article would not slow the administration’s agenda.
Senior officials quickly rallied behind her. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wiles was instrumental in what she called the most successful first eleven months of any presidency and described her as Trump’s most loyal advisor. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accused the media of smearing effective officials and praised Wiles as the best chief of staff he had seen.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Wiles one of the most effective chiefs of staff in modern history, highlighting her leadership style and ability to translate the president’s vision into policy. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised Wiles’ role in assembling the administration and delivering results at high speed.
The article also drew attention for attributing comments to Wiles suggesting Trump has an “alcoholic’s personality.” Trump addressed that claim directly, saying Wiles was referring to his own description of having an intense, driven, and potentially addictive personality, not alcohol use. Trump reiterated that he does not drink and said he has made similar remarks about himself for years.
Trump dismissed the Vanity Fair article as inaccurate and intentionally misleading, said he had not read it, and reaffirmed his full confidence in Wiles, calling her “fantastic.”
