Vice President JD Vance has mounted a strong defence of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, following a controversial Vanity Fair profile that described him as a 'conspiracy theorist'. The article, based on extensive interviews with Wiles, has triggered a fierce backlash from top Trump administration officials.
Vance's Unconventional Defence
Speaking in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Vance offered a lengthy and somewhat tongue-in-cheek explanation of his views on conspiracy theories. "Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true," he claimed, noting that he and Wiles had joked about the label for a long time.
He then turned the tables by citing what he called a past 'conspiracy theory' about President Joe Biden's health. "You know, I believed in this crazy conspiracy theory that the media and the government were covering up the fact that Joe Biden was clearly unable to do the job," Vance quipped.
He further joked that he was deemed a conspiracy theorist for believing "it was stupid to mask three-year-olds at the height of the COVID pandemic." Vance defined a conspiracy theory as "just something that was true six months before the media admitted it."
White House Rallies Around Wiles
Striking a more serious tone, Vance praised Wiles as "the best White House chief of staff" President Trump could ask for, insisting the Vanity Fair piece did not reflect the person he knows. "I've never seen Susie Wiles say something to the president and then go and counteract him. Or subvert his will behind the scenes," he stated, emphasising that staff should serve the elected president's agenda.
Vance is the latest senior figure to defend Wiles, following similar statements from President Donald Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump, addressing remarks in the article where Wiles said he had an "alcoholic's personality," told the New York Post he was not offended. He explained that he has often said himself that, due to his "possessive and addictive type personality," he could have been an alcoholic if he drank.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted the article as "disingenuous reporting," accusing journalist Chris Whipple of taking Wiles's words out of context and omitting crucial facts to push a "false narrative of chaos and confusion."
Fallout and Damage Control
In a frantic damage-control statement posted on X, Wiles herself called the twin Vanity Fair articles a "disingenuously framed hit piece." She claimed significant context was disregarded and positive comments about the administration were left out to paint a negative picture.
The political fallout has been tangible. According to prediction market Kalshi, the odds of Wiles being the first to leave the Trump Cabinet skyrocketed from 4% to 18% following the report's publication. She is now listed as the third most likely official to depart early, behind only Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The wide-ranging Vanity Fair interview also saw Wiles criticise former Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Epstein files and describe tech billionaire Elon Musk as a ketamine-dependent oddball. The journalist, Chris Whipple, stated the conversations were mostly on-the-record and conducted in intimate settings, including while Wiles was doing her laundry.
