Vanity Fair’s long profile of Susie Wiles, based on 11 interviews, published candid comments that exposed tensions between the White House chief of staff and Trump’s inner circle. Wiles, a seasoned Republican operative credited with bringing order to the West Wing, insists “I’m not an enabler.” Supporters say she runs a tighter operation; critics argue she has failed to tell the president hard truths and may be shaping her legacy ahead of an uncertain future.
“Not an Enabler?” Inside the Vanity Fair Profile That Put Susie Wiles Under the Spotlight
Susie Wiles at an event at the Kennedy Center on 13 August 2025 in Washington DC.Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
When President Donald Trump introduced his chief of staff in Mount Pocono in early December with a joking aside — “Susie Trump — do you know Susie Trump? Sometimes referred to as Susie Wiles” — he praised her for persuading him to resume campaigning ahead of the 2026 midterms. Within days, however, Wiles found herself at the center of intense scrutiny after a long Vanity Fair profile published candid on-the-record comments from 11 interviews across the president’s first year back in the White House.
What Vanity Fair Revealed
The 9,500-word piece quoted Wiles offering blunt assessments of Mr. Trump and his inner circle. She described the president as having "an alcoholic's personality," warned of his appetite for vengeance against perceived enemies and supplied sharp appraisals of other figures in the orbit — calling Vice-President J.D. Vance “a conspiracy theorist” and describing Elon Musk as “an odd, odd duck” while criticizing his role in changes to USAID.
Wiles told Vanity Fair: "I'm not an enabler. I'm also not a bitch. I try to be thoughtful about what I even engage in. I guess time will tell whether I've been effective."
Responses And Interpretations
Wiles accused the magazine of selective quoting and labeled the piece a "hit job," while Mr. Trump, Vance and other allies publicly defended her. Journalists and commentators offered conflicting reads: Chris Whipple, the reporter who conducted the interviews, said the profile reflected what Wiles says privately to colleagues rather than part of any exit strategy. Other critics argued the interviews were a deliberate attempt to shape history and soften her legacy if she departs the West Wing.
Voices From Both Sides
Supporters credit Wiles with bringing discipline to the West Wing and building a more professional 2024 campaign operation. They say she has a unique rapport with Mr. Trump that helped the White House function more smoothly than during his first term. Critics counter that she has repeatedly failed to forcefully check the president’s worst impulses, making her complicit in controversial policies ranging from large-scale firings of federal staff to a hardline immigration stance and resorting to military actions in the Caribbean.
Long Career, Behind-the-Scenes Operative
Wiles, 68, has spent decades as a Republican political operative who prefers the background. The daughter of broadcaster Pat Summerall, she worked in Jack Kemp’s office, on Ronald Reagan’s campaign and in his White House, and later managed campaigns across Florida and beyond — including pivotal roles in Trump’s 2016 and 2024 efforts, and in Ron DeSantis’s 2018 gubernatorial victory. Her reputation is that of a disciplined organizer who keeps principals on message and avoids the limelight.
The Central Question
Observers now ask whether Wiles has struck the balance a chief of staff must achieve: delivering the president’s agenda while protecting institutions and telling hard truths. Chris Whipple and some allies say she has made the West Wing more orderly; others say she has not succeeded where it matters most — confronting the president when necessary.
Why it matters: The profile crystallized long-simmering tensions over the role of advisers in holding leaders accountable. Whether Wiles is viewed as a stabilizing force or an enabler will shape her legacy and influence how future chiefs of staff are judged.
Looking Ahead
Wiles’s defenders emphasize her discreet, managerial style and her political acumen. Her critics suggest the Vanity Fair revelations are only the beginning of a broader reassessment of who bears responsibility for the administration’s direction. For now, Wiles remains chief of staff — but the debate over her effectiveness and motives is likely to continue.
