White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles sent an email to Trump staff in March instructing them to stop leaking to the press, but the memo itself was leaked to Politico.
The email stated that no staff member in the Executive Office of the President is permitted to speak to the media without approval from the White House Communications Office. It warned that unauthorised leaks would not be tolerated and could lead to sanctions, including termination.
Wiles wrote that violations could cause significant disruption to operations and potentially endanger missions of national significance. The email followed frustrations over staff sharing unauthorised details of internal tensions, including details about a downed US military aircraft in Iran.
A source told Politico that Wiles was generally very frustrated with leaks. White House spokesperson Liz Huzton confirmed a zero-tolerance policy for speaking to the media without authorisation.
Wiles herself raised eyebrows in December for remarks to Vanity Fair, describing President Trump as having an 'alcoholic's personality' and labelling Vice President JD Vance a 'conspiracy theorist'. She later accused the magazine of framing a hit piece.
