Donald Trump's Top Aide Drops Bombshell Details About His Personality as President

US President Donald Trump's closest aide opens up about how she manages his powerful personality and decision-making at the heart of a turbulent White House.

Susie Wiles doesn't just serve in Donald Trump's White House; she runs it. While others tried to control his impulses, she helps carry them out. As chief of staff, she holds the most powerful unelected role in American politics.

In a rare Vanity Fair interview, Wiles revealed how she earned Trump's trust and why her complicated upbringing prepared her to manage one of the most unpredictable figures to occupy the Oval Office.

The One Who Channels Trump's Instincts

Wiles managed Trump's 2024 campaign and now holds the top staff position in the White House. Her role differs from that of most chiefs of staff, who often act as guards or filters. Wiles sees herself as a partner in Trump's agenda.

According to Vice President James David "JD" Vance, many in the first administration tried to "control" or "influence" the president to serve what they believed was the national interest, but not Wiles. He added:

"Susie just takes the diametrically opposite viewpoint, which is that she's a facilitator, that the American people have elected Donald Trump. And her job is to actually facilitate his vision and to make his vision come to life."

A former Republican chief of staff underscored just how pivotal Wiles has become in the White House. He described her as the sole figure capable of guiding the president's spur-of-the-moment decisions:

"And as far as I can tell, the only force that can direct or channel that whim is Susie...In most White Houses, the chief of staff is first among a bunch of equals. She may be first with no equals."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed strong admiration for Wiles, saying that no one else could handle the demanding role she currently holds. He called her relationship with Trump "an earned trust."

Wiles has worked with Trump for nearly a decade. "I am entering my ninth year altogether, my fifth year day-to-day," she said. "So it's hard to surprise me."

How Wiles Understands Trump's Personality

Wiles said her upbringing taught her how to navigate strong-willed men. Her father, sportscaster Pat Summerall, struggled with alcoholism and was largely absent during her childhood.

She and her mother had to stage interventions to get him into treatment. He remained sober for 21 years before he died in 2013. "Alcoholism does bad things to relationships, and so it was with my dad and me," she said.

She continued, "Some clinical psychologist that knows one million times more than I do will dispute what I'm going to say. But high-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. And so I'm a little bit of an expert in big personalities."

Wiles also said Trump has "an alcoholic's personality." She added that he "operates [with] a view that there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing."

Earlier in the interview, while discussing her ability to deal with difficult men, Wiles said with a laugh, "I make a specialty of it." Her words sparked interest, but it appears that Trump didn't flinch.

Trump Defends Wiles and Stands by Her Judgment

In an interview with the New York Post, the president defended Wiles and said her observation didn't bother him. In fact, he said it echoed something he's long believed about himself. He explained:

"No, she meant that I'm — you see, I don't drink alcohol. So everybody knows that — but I've often said that if I did, I'd have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It's a very possessive personality."

Trump cited the death of his brother Fred from alcoholism as the reason for his lifelong abstinence, saying he was "fortunate" to have stayed away from it. It’s a personal truth, he noted, that he has acknowledged "many times."

Although he said he had not read the Vanity Fair article, Trump dismissed any concerns and reaffirmed his support, stating, "She's done a fantastic job."

Trump's admiration for Wiles has also played out in public. At a White House summer soiree in June 2025, he stunned guests with an unexpected tribute.

"I want to thank the great chief of staff, most powerful woman anywhere in the world, they say. She got the most powerful woman in the world," Trump told the crowd.

He made a dramatic suggestion that Wiles held so much power, a single phone call from her could trigger a major action. He quickly walked back the implication, emphasizing that the US is a peace-loving nation. Only after delivering this remark did he turn to the crowd and acknowledge Wiles by name.

Following his comments about Wiles, Trump also directed remarks at another official during the Thanksgiving turkey pardon ceremony.

Trump turned this year's White House turkey-pardoning event, held on November 25, into remarks aimed at Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker, using the festive backdrop to deliver one of his more direct comments about the governor while faulting the state's leaders for rejecting federal assistance amid Chicago's persistent violence.

The remark, delivered during his appearance in the Rose Garden, came moments after Trump granted clemency to the two featured birds, Waddle and Gobble.

During the event, Trump tied his criticism to what he described as failures in Chicago's leadership, referencing last week's attack on 26-year-old Bethany MaGee aboard a CTA train. He argued that both the governor and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had rebuffed federal assistance.

The crowd, initially expecting a light and familiar bit of presidential humor, shifted noticeably as Trump's tone grew sharper, moving from the lighthearted ceremony to political topics that would shape most of his speech.

President Trump Doubles Down with Off-Script Remarks

Minutes later, Trump continued riffing, suggesting he had considered using a scripted joke at Pritzker's expense but opted instead for a more direct attack.

He drifted into an unscripted aside, reflecting on the pardon process and hinting that he had a prepared jab about Pritzker's size. But as he continued, he moved away from the scripted joke and began speaking more freely about the issue, leading him to abandon the joke.

"They have a very cute little joke. You know, some speech writer wrote some joke about his weight. Uh, but I would never want to talk about his weight. I don't talk about people being fat. I refuse to talk about the fact that he's a fat slob. I don't mention it [sic]," he added.

Light Banter About Thanksgiving

Trump also briefly pivoted to humor about his own weight. In the same speech, he said:

"On a more serious note, as we gather around the dinner table, I'd like to lose a few pounds, too, by the way. And I'm not going to lose it on Thanksgiving. I can tell you that because I'm going to have a turkey, but it's not gonna be that one."

The exchange marked the latest round in a long-running, public back-and-forth over weight. Trump had previously argued that Pritzker "ought to spend more time in the gym," to which the governor replied, "It takes one to know one on the weight question."

Traditional Turkey Pardon and a Minor Mystery

Before moving into his sharper commentary, Trump completed the customary Thanksgiving ritual, granting the annual pardon to the designated holiday birds. "Gobble, I just want to tell you this very important. You are hereby unconditionally pardoned," he declared.

As attendees clapped, Trump briefly acknowledged the crowd and the moment, adding, "Who would want to harm this beautiful bird?"

The ceremony drew an unusually large turnout, with administration officials, employees, and their families filling the Rose Garden. But the lighthearted gathering took an odd turn online when viewers noticed that only Gobble appeared during the presentation, leaving many puzzled about Waddle's absence.

The BBC later reported that the pair of turkeys had, in fact, been granted the traditional reprieve and were headed back to their base in North Carolina.

According to the outlet, Leslee Oden, president of the National Turkey Federation, said Gobble was chosen as the main Thanksgiving bird. At the same time, Waddle was designated as the alternate, ready to take the spotlight if needed.