President Donald Trump made clear this week that he takes no offense at comments attributed to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in a recently published Vanity Fair profile, including her remark that he has “an alcoholic’s personality.”
The comment emerged in a high-profile Vanity Fair feature that unsettled many inside the Trump administration because of its unusually candid tone and moments that appeared to contradict the president’s public messaging. After the article’s release, Wiles herself forcefully pushed back, calling the piece a “disingenuously framed hit piece.” Other members of Trump’s Cabinet quickly rallied to her defense, accusing the magazine of misrepresenting the administration.
Trump, however, struck a notably calm and even agreeable tone when asked about Wiles’s remark. Speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday, the president said he understood exactly what she meant and did not find the description insulting.
Trump reiterated that he does not drink alcohol, a fact he has mentioned publicly many times. But he explained that he has long believed abstaining was the right choice given his personality. According to the Post, Trump said he has a “possessive and addictive type personality” and acknowledged that if he did drink, he could easily develop a problem.
“No, she meant that I’m — you see, I don’t drink alcohol. So everybody knows that,” Trump said. “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.”
Shortly afterward, the president clarified his remarks, emphasizing that “addictive” was the better term to describe his personality. Far from being offended, Trump appeared to accept Wiles’s phrasing as consistent with how he has described himself over the years.
While Trump admitted he had not yet read the Vanity Fair article in full, he nonetheless joined his senior staff in criticizing the publication. He dismissed the profile’s portrayal of his administration, saying the “facts” were “wrong” and accusing the interviewer, veteran reporter Chris Whipple, of being “misguided.”
The Vanity Fair story drew widespread attention for its behind-the-scenes look at Trump’s second-term White House and the unusually blunt quotes attributed to Wiles. Those remarks prompted swift reactions from allies, who argued the magazine cherry-picked comments and stripped away context to create a negative narrative.
Trump’s response underscored his continued confidence in Wiles, whom he has repeatedly praised as a trusted and effective chief of staff. While critics seized on the phrase “alcoholic’s personality” to stir controversy, the president instead framed it as an honest observation about his intensity and self-discipline.
By backing Wiles publicly and brushing off the media frenzy, Trump signaled that the Vanity Fair profile has done little to shake his confidence in his team or distract him from governing. As he and his allies see it, the episode is just another example of a legacy media outlet trying — and failing — to manufacture drama inside an administration that remains focused on its agenda.
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