The Unusual Loyalty of Susie Wiles

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, shared candid thoughts about her colleagues in a series of interviews. Her remarks sparked a wave of support from the administration, despite some of her comments being less than flattering. Wiles' most pointed critique was aimed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom she accused of mishandling the Jeffrey Epstein case files. This issue has been a hot topic among President Donald Trump's supporters and has caused significant political challenges for the White House. Bondi, however, quickly defended her friend and fellow Floridian, using the opportunity to criticize the messenger instead. The outpouring of support for Wiles from Trump's top aides, Cabinet officials, and some of his most loyal online supporters was swift. This public display of loyalty contrasted sharply with the internal feuds, high staff turnover, and public infighting that marked much of Trump's first term. By this point in 2017, Trump had already replaced his chief of staff, pushed out his top political adviser, and seen several other key staff members resign or be forced out. The episode highlights Wiles' unique influence and power within Trump's inner circle. Known as the "Ice Maiden" and even "Susie Trump, " Wiles has earned near-universal loyalty across the White House and Trump's political operation. Her reputation was cemented during the years after Trump left office, when she remained by his side through his political exile and then guided his political comeback as the co-campaign manager for his third presidential bid. Several officials and people close to Trump acknowledged that anyone else might have faced consequences for similar remarks. However, Wiles is one of the few people in the president's inner circle whom he trusts more, and even fewer who seek as little attention and credit. Wiles called the article a "disingenuously framed hit piece" on her and the White House staff. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also attacked Vanity Fair, arguing there was a "bias of omission" by excluding the positive things Wiles and others said. Privately, some White House aides and advisers expressed unease at the unvarnished views Wiles shared with a reporter. One Trump ally told CNN that the article appeared in "every group chat, " adding "everyone is shocked and confused. "Over the course of 11 interviews with historian and author Chris Whipple, Wiles spoke with unusual frankness about Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and billionaire Elon Musk. At times, she pulled back the veil on important policy decisions. The level of candor was striking, particularly from an aide long regarded within Trump world as disciplined, discrete, and highly strategic. The interview prompted widespread speculation with one central question: Why would she do this? For many in the West Wing, the belief remained that their disciplined chief of staff could not have misstepped to such a degree. Aides and advisers scrambled to figure out whether this interview revealed something deeper, though few convincing hypotheses stuck. Sources told CNN that a few officials were hesitant about participating in a splashy Vanity Fair piece. However, Wiles has regularly operated under the assumption it’s better to be in control of the narrative than to just be the subject. Some of the people she criticized were the quickest to rally around her. Vance, for example, brushed off Wiles’ contention that the vice president was "a conspiracy theorist for a decade" and that his conversion from Trump critic to vocal supporter was "political. " Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, whom Wiles described as "a right-wing absolute zealot, " also praised her on social media, calling her "an exceptional chief of staff. " One notable silence came from Musk, a former top Trump ally. Wiles criticized the tech billionaire’s approach to dismantling the US Agency for International Development during his time leading Department of Government Efficiency, and the magazine quoted her calling Musk an "avowed ketamine" user. Musk posted two dozen times on X after the story published but as of 8 p. m. had not mentioned Wiles. To many, the quick display of support from most others was not surprising, some officials said. "Susie is not necessarily feared, but she commands a level of respect, and at times a level of intimidation, because of the power she wields, " one official said. And, according to Trump, she remains in good standing. He told the New York Post: "Oh, she’s fantastic. "