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 ever 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 J. D. Vance, many in the first administration tried to "control" or "manipulate" the president to serve what they believed was the national interest, but Wiles takes a very different approach. He said:

"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 Trump 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."

Senator 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 experiences growing up helped her learn to work with strong-willed men. Her father, sportscaster Pat Summerall, was an alcoholic. 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 said Trump has "an alcoholic's personality." She said 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."