WASHINGTON (AP) — Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s understated but influential chief of staff, criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and broadly defended the president’s aggressive second administration in a series of interviews published Tuesday in Vanity Fair.
Wiles told the magazine in a wide-ranging, revealing series of conversations that she underestimated the scandal involving Epstein, the disgraced financier, but sharply criticized how Bondi managed the case and the public’s expectations.
After the story was published, Wiles disparaged it as a “disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.”
“Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story,” she wrote in a social media post. “I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team.”
Wiles did not deny the comments that were attributed to her.
Wiles stated that Trump wants to maintain pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, alluding to ongoing military actions against drug trafficking boats. She emphasized that Trump believes in applying relentless pressure until Maduro capitulates.
Wiles also acknowledged having made a "loose agreement" with Trump regarding his retribution campaign, indicating that it was expected to subside within the initial 90 days of his second term but has continued beyond that timeframe.
The interview portrayed Wiles as a pivotal figure in Trump's administration, focusing on internal dynamics and the challenges of navigating political controversies while prioritizing strategic objectives. In sum, the revelations shed light on Trump’s administration's goals, personality traits, and attitudes toward dealing with adversaries.
