White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, in a revealing series of interviews with author Chris Whipple for Vanity Fair, provided an unvarnished and often critical look at the inner workings of the second administration of United States President Donald Trump.
Trump, His Inner Circle, and the White House: Revelations and Insights from the Vanity Fair Interviews of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
In a series of startlingly candid interviews with Vanity Fair, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles pulls back the curtain on the second Trump administration.
1. Rarely Seen Candor From a Sitting Chief of Staff
Wiles ranted in a series of candid on-the-record interviews to Vanity Fair journalist Chris Whipple spread over many months. The resulting two-part profile, which was published on 16 December 2025, offered unusually unfiltered insights into internal White House dynamics, the personality of Trump, and the priorities of the second Trump administration.
Take note that the White House Chief of Staff later called the published articles a disingenuously framed hit piece that she claimed had disregarded significant context. But she did not deny the accuracy of any of the quotes attributed to her. The recordings attributed to her highlight internal tensions and surprising perspectives on the president and his inner circle.
2. The Alcoholic Personality of President Trump
One of the most striking takeaways was the way she described the temperament of Trump. She compared his behavior to that of an alcoholic. Specifically, drawing from her experience with her father, the late NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall, she said she is a little bit of an expert in people with big personalities, including those high-functioning alcoholics.
Trump does not drink alcohol. However, in a follow-up interview with the New York Post, he stood by his chief of staff and has defended the statements. He also seemed to acknowledge a grain of truth in the observation of Wiles. The U.S. president noted that he has a possessive and addictive type of personality even without alcohol, and he has been vocal about this.
3. Views on USAID and Criticisms of Elon Musk
Wiles expressed shock and disapproval over how Elon Musk, acting as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, handled the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development or USAID. She said the manner in which it was shut down was not how she believed it should have been done, and also noted the agency did very good work.
She also described Musk as “an odd, odd duck” whose actions were often not rational and left her aghast. Wiles believed that no rational person would consider the process of dismantling USAID as successful. Moreover, in further describing the tech billionaire, she supposed that the chaotic approach of Musk might be an effect of taking small doses of ketamine.
4. Critiques and Descriptions of Senior Trump Officials
The White House Chief of Staff mentioned Attorney General Pam Bondi “whiffed” on handling the controversial Jeffrey Epstein case. Specifically, according to her, Bondi gave binders full of nothingness. Then the Attorney General assured the witness list or client list was on her desk. Wiles said there is no client list, and she was sure as hell it was not on her desk.
United States Vice President JD Vance was described as a longtime conspiracy theorist whose political loyalty to Trump developed over time rather than being rooted in principle. Note that Vance was anti-Trump or a Never-Trumper. Wiles characterized his transformation to a MAGA loyalist as a political scheme and not due to a principled change of heart.
5. Specific Policy Disagreements and Concerns
The Vanity Fair articles also highlighted areas where Wiles, typically considered a disciplined strategist, felt worried over the direction of the second Trump administration. While Trump campaigned on deporting the worst of the worst, Wiles admitted concerns about the process, which has included mass roundups of individuals without criminal records.
Wiles revealed she warned Trump against a blanket pardon for all 1500 people involved in the disastrous Capitol riot on 6 January 2021. She praised the FBI under the Biden administration for doing incredible work in identifying violent offenders. It is worth noting that this stance directly contradicts the rhetoric of Trump against the federal law enforcement agency.
6. How Trump Views Presidential Power and Retribution
An overarching theme that emerged from the interviews was the belief of Trump in his absolute authority as U.S. president. Wiles stated that Trump believes “there’s nothing he can’t do, nothing, zero” as the elected executive leader of the United States. This confirms leanings toward bringing independent agencies like the DOJ and FBI under direct presidential control.
She also described the tendency of Trump toward score-settling. She shared that she sought to limit the president from seeking retribution in the first 90 days. However, by mid-2025, she had shifted to defend his actions as preventive. She explained that the score-settling tendency of Trump comes from his belief that others should not face or experience what he did.
7. Trump Tariffs and Strategy Toward Venezuela
Wiles acknowledged that the implementation of Liberation Day tariffs in April 2025, a signature trade policy of the administration, had been significantly more painful than expected. She admitted there were internal disagreements about the timing and communication of those tariffs, and that the U.S. president needed unified counsel before publicly discussing them.
She also offered insight into the rationale behind U.S. naval actions in the Caribbean. She stated Trump wants to continue destroying boats linked to alleged drug cartels until Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro gives in. This remark confirmed a strategic aim behind aggressive maritime strikes and linked them to broader pressure on the Venezuelan government under Maduro.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Nelson, S. and Chamberlain, S. 16 December 2025. “Trump Stands by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles After Bombshell Vanity Fair Interviews — Admits He Has ‘Alcoholic’s Personality’.” New York Post. Available online
- Whipple, C. 16 December 2025. “Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the Junkyard Dogs: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2).” Vanity Fair. Available online
- Whipple, C. 16 December 2025. “Susie Wiles Talks Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth’s War Tactics, Retribution, and More (Part 2 of 2).” Vanity Fair. Available online