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.” She also alleged that significant context was disregarded in the article.
Wiles did not deny the comments that were attributed to her, continuing to highlight Trump’s leadership style and ambition.
Trump tapped Wiles after she managed his winning 2024 campaign. She is the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff and is known for shunning the spotlight. It is rare for her to speak as extensively and openly about the president.
Wiles described how Trump has sought to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro through aggressive military tactics targeting drug traffickers. She remarked, He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. This contradicts the administration’s stated goals of merely stopping drugs.
Moreover, Wiles commented on Epstein directly, stating she has read the files and that Trump is not mentioned in any wrongdoing. She stressed that Trump and Epstein had a falling out in the past.
Wiles believes that public frustration with Bondi stems from her ineffective communication regarding the Epstein case, indicating there was much more to be desired in terms of transparency and responsiveness to community concerns.
In terms of managing Trump’s response to his detractors, Wiles acknowledged challenges in tempering his aggressive tendencies, detailing her efforts to limit his retribution campaign against political enemies. However, she also recognized the importance of holding individuals accountable for past actions, even if it appears to be vengeful at times. It may look like retribution, but who would blame him? Not me, she stated.
This discussion sheds light on the inner workings of Trump’s administration and the complex dynamics between Wiles, Bondi, and the broader public expectation during a tumultuous political landscape.
