Over the course of this year, Susie Wiles gave Vanity Fair a series of separate interviews. This was unprecedented access. Each interview turned out to be more revealing than the last. The resulting profile, published this week by the magazine, reads like a tell-all attention-worthy memoir written by someone who completely forgot that she still worked for the President. That Wiles is regarded as a disciplined, strategic, and notoriously media-shy aide, makes matters more damaging than expected.

Wiles Unfiltered

Susie Wiles described the president as possessing traits that were consistent with addiction, even terming his personality as that of an "alcoholic." When the New York Post asked Trump about this, he surprisingly did not dispute it. Instead, he said that he might likely struggle with substance issues if he ever did drink — which he famously chose not to all his life — because of his tendency to be obsessive about everything. Wiles was, of course, characterizing Trump's belief that there was nothing he could not do.

But, what Wiles had to say about Trump was probably the relatively tamer observation compared to what she's said about the rest of his inner circle. She labelled Vance as someone who's embraced conspiracy theories for years and questioned whether his political trajectory from a Trump critic to a loyalist stemmed from genuine conviction or if it was pure opportunism. Wiles also spoke about Elon Musk, acknowledging his brilliance but also pointing to his use of ketamine and suggesting that his judgment suffers as a result. Wiles also remarked that Pam Bondi badly mishandled sensitive files on Jeffrey Epstein, specifically criticizing her claims about having access to documents that don't exist.

Then there's Venezuela. According to Wiles, the administration's military strikes against boats in the Caribbean serve a purpose entirely different from what officials claim publicly. Rather than interdicting narcotics, she said, the real goal involves pressuring Maduro's government into submission. This admission contradicts months of official statements and exposes an undisclosed regime-change strategy. Media training is clearly absent — or Wiles is perhaps shooting her shot as the sole reasonable voice in the room, someone who disagree with various decisions but ultimately goes along with it. On controversial moves, Wiles was all for justification. She argued that overcorrection becomes necessary to reach equilibrium. That these controversial moves include the cutting of humanitarian aid programs and pursuing political opponents through the justice system is perhaps not as hard-hitting for the 'rational voice' in West Wing.

Damage Control

Once the Vanity Fair articles dropped, Wiles was quick to move. She took to social media (a rare choice given her usual absence from such platforms) to denounce what she called a distorted hit piece against her and an administration that she calls exceptional. She added that the articles were missing important context. Soon enough, the White House also came out with its set of statements. Karoline Leavitt chose to attack Vanity Fair for their selective editing and the "fake news" that was being peddled as a result. Other officials were all praise for Wiles, especially citing her loyalty and competence. Even those she criticizes in the interviews publicly defended Wiles.

But, for all the claims about 'selective editing', 'fake news', and 'missing context', there's one key detail that the administration and Trump's inner circle have missed. Vanity Fair, as per reports in the New York Times, reportedly possesses audio recordings of the conversations they've had with each individual for the profile. When pressed on specific quotes that Wiles disputed, the publication stood by its reporting and offered to provide these tapes as evidence. Multiple news organizations have since confirmed this detail independently. There are only two ways of looking at what's happened then: Wiles is either super forgetful and has no clue about what's transpired over the course of eleven interviews, or she's trying to cover up her trail desperately. The latter is most probable.

Regardless of what's happened, Wiles may not be sent out the backdoor. Trump might just have incredible tolerance for chaos. And Wiles is someone who's stuck around longer than most, ever since Trump set out on his political journey. Longevity may matter more than a few mess-ups.

Susie Wiles wasn't the only official interviewed by Vanity Fair. But, she was the only one who emerged scathed. The only non-Wiles takeaway is Marco Rubio's declaration that he would immediately support JD Vance in a 2028 presidential campaign. That's a significant concession from someone many view as the vice president's primary competition for the eventual nomination. It suggests either genuine deference or sophisticated political calculation about where power will reside post-Trump.

Why Does This Matter

Susie Wiles' revelations don't stop at being mere discontentment, or political positioning of self. These actually provide confirmation about the governance model that is being followed by Trump's second term. Everything anchors on impulse and settling grudges. There are factions within the administration and disagreements are regular. The grudges also extend to whole nations. For example, Wiles clearly states that regime-change is at the heart of Trump's decision to counter Venezuela, albeit in the name of liberation. But the truth hardly sees any light past contradictory official explanations.

That conservative media outlets are treating this episode as an instance of media bias, and not of unsettling revelation of fractures within the 'robust' Trump system, tells us more about why media management does not matter to the administration anymore. Their supporters will dismiss the mainstream media's reports. So, why pay the effort to polish your appearance? It's quite easy then to make explosive statements and attempt to walk them back twenty-four hours later with minimal consequences, provided you claim misrepresentation. Truth has indeed become negotiable. And accountability is out of all scenes.