Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's chief of staff, has sparked controversy after a series of candid interviews with Vanity Fair in which she described the president as having 'an alcoholic's personality' and criticised key members of his administration.
In the profile, based on 11 interviews conducted over Trump's first year back in office, Wiles reportedly called Vice-President JD Vance a 'conspiracy theorist' and branded tech billionaire Elon Musk an 'odd, odd duck' while faulting his dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, has claimed she was selectively quoted in a 'hit piece'. Trump, Vance and others rallied to her defence, but political commentators have questioned her motives.
Rick Wilson, a political strategist and co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, said he believed Wiles acted deliberately. 'She is trying to have a plea bargain with history... I don't think she's long for this White House,' he said.
Chris Whipple, who conducted the interviews for Vanity Fair, disagreed, saying he did not think Wiles was planning an exit. 'It was Susie Wiles saying out loud what she thinks and what she says in private to her colleagues,' he said.
Wiles, 68, has long cultivated a low profile despite her influential role. She co-chaired Trump's 2024 election campaign but refused to take the microphone during his victory speech. Her background includes work for Ronald Reagan, Dan Quayle and two Jacksonville mayors.
