‘He has the personality of an alcoholic’: Trump’s chief of staff claims Vanity Fair distorted her words about the president and other members of the administration

Before becoming chief of staff, she had a long history of working with Trump, including as head of his Florida campaign in 2016 and as head of his Save America fundraising apparatus.

In the interview, he attributes his upbringing to an alcoholic father, who enabled him to work with the president.

“High-functioning alcoholics, or alcoholics in general, have an exaggerated personality when they drink,” he said. “So I’m something of an expert on strong personalities.”

Although the president doesn’t drink, he said Trump has “the personality of an alcoholic” and governs with the mentality that “there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.”

Among the other figures Wiles spoke about was Vice President JD Vance, who was once a critic of Trump and later became a close ally.

Wiles suggested that Vance’s change of stance was “kind of political.”

Speaking to reporters at an event on Tuesday, Vance said he had not read the article but only believed conspiracy theories that were “true.” As an example, he cited reports about former President Joe Biden’s poor health.

Wiles’ most forceful remarks were directed at billionaire Elon Musk, who led the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to cut federal government spending before leaving office in May.

Shortly thereafter, Musk and Trump separated and a public argument broke out, with both exchanging accusations and insults on social media.

Wiles described Musk as a “confessed” ketamine user who spent the night “in a sleeping bag in the EOB,” the executive office building next to the White House.

“He’s a very strange guy, as I think all geniuses are,” he said. “You know, it’s not very useful, but it is what it is.”

Recalling Musk’s austerity measures, Wiles said she opposed dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and was “initially appalled” by the idea.

“I think anyone who pays attention to the government like I do and has ever paid attention to USAID would think they did a very good job,” he recalled.

“Elon’s attitude is that you have to do things quickly. If you do it gradually, you just won’t get your rocket to the moon,” Wiles said. “You’re going to break a lot of dishes with that attitude. And no sane person believed that USAID’s (disappearance) process was good. No one.”

On Tuesday morning, hours after the article was published by Vanity Faircriticized Wiles in

“Important context was ignored and much of what I and others have said about the team and the president was omitted. After reading it, I assume they did this to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the president and our team,” he wrote.

The White House also defended Wiles. In a statement to the BBC, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wiles “helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any president in American history.”

“President Trump has no more important or loyal advisor than Susie,” Leavitt added. “The entire government thanks her for her continued leadership and fully supports her.”

Later, speaking to reporters outside the West Wing, Leavitt made the accusation Vanity Fair of “bias by omission” by excluding other interviews with White House staff and taking Wiles’ words “completely out of context.”

Trump and Musk have not yet commented on the article.

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