An internal assessment describing U.S. President Donald Trump as having “alcoholic’s personality” has been made public. U.S. Vice President JD Vance was described as a decade-long “conspiracy theorist,” while Elon Musk was labeled as an “odd duck.” These revelations came from Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff and a key figure in Trump’s second administration, who directly addressed the president and his inner circle in an interview. However, Wiles later contested the interview’s contents.
Vanity Fair, a prominent U.S. pop culture magazine, reported on Tuesday that it had conducted ongoing interviews with Wiles since just before Trump’s second inauguration, publishing the material in a two-part series.
During the interview, Wiles stated, ” I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities,” referencing her experience with an alcoholic father. She noted that although Trump doesn’t drink, he displays characteristics similar to those of an alcoholic. Wiles further assessed that Trump has a “view that there is nothing he can’t do.”
Although Wiles offered some positive interpretations of Trump, her evaluation of Vice President JD Vance was considerably harsher. She described Vance as “a conspiracy theorist for a decade,” emphasizing that the pressure surrounding the full disclosure of the Epstein files related to was particularly significant for him.
Wiles suggested that Vance’s transformation from a Trump critic to a fervent supporter was a calculated move. She remarked, “His conversion occurred when he ran for the Senate,” adding that it was a “strongly political” change. This refers to his victory in the 2022 Ohio Senate election.
Wiles also candidly evaluated Elon Musk, who was tasked with downsizing federal programs and agencies during the early days of Trump’s second term. She said, “The challenge with Elon is keeping up with him,” adding that he is a “avowed ketamine [user]” who “sleeps on a sleeping bag in the [Executive Building] in the daytime.”
She continued, “he’s an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are,” noting, “it’s not helpful, but he is his own person.” Wiles admitted that she was initially shocked when Musk attempted to significantly cut funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Wiles revealed that one of the biggest rifts within the Trump administration arose over trade policy, particularly surrounding the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, which were imposed and then rescinded on most trading partners in April. She stated, “There was a huge disagreement over whether the tariffs were a good idea,” adding that it was “more painful than I expected.” She explained that at the time, hardliners overruled staff members who called for a more cautious approach.
However, after the interview’s release, Wiles took to X to refute the claims. She described the interview as “a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.” She emphasized, “None of this will stop our relentless pursuit of Making America Great Again.”
