Politics

Susie Wiles Blasts Vanity Fair Over Political Hit Job

Published

4 months ago

December 17, 2025

Susie Wiles Blasts Vanity Fair Over Political Hit Job

WASHINGTON, D.C – Inside the quiet but powerful corridors of the West Wing, where influence often moves in low voices and closed-door meetings, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has built a reputation as the calm centre of the Trump presidency.

Staffers call her the “Ice Maiden”, a strategist who keeps her cool while managing Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office. This week, that ice turned into open fire.

Wiles is pushing back hard against Vanity Fair, and writer Chris Whipple, after the magazine ran a long feature that she says twisted her words and intentions. She describes the story as a “disingenuously framed hit piece“ that tries to create drama and disorder where, she insists, there is focus and competence.

The dispute goes back to a series of interviews between Wiles and Chris Whipple held over the last year. Whipple, known for writing about presidential Chiefs of Staff, approached Wiles with what she understood to be a serious, long-term project about the history of the job and its demands.

According to Susie Wiles, she agreed to the conversations, believing they would help shape a broader historical record, not a short-term political story. Instead, Vanity Fair, which critics say now functions as a permanent anti-Trump outlet, took those in-depth talks and repackaged them as a fresh weapon against the current administration.

“Significant context was disregarded,” Wiles said in a rare, pointed public statement. “Much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story. This was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team.”

The piece quickly went viral for one line in particular, where Wiles is quoted describing President Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality”. Headlines repeated the phrase, with little interest in what she says she actually meant.

Wiles explains that the remark came out of her experience growing up with her father, legendary broadcaster Pat Summerall, and was about drive and intensity, not addiction or insult. She says she was trying to describe Trump’s relentless work ethic and huge presence, traits she had seen before in her own family, not attack his character.

By stripping away the personal background and the longer explanation, she argues, the article turned a psychological observation into a cheap, personal jab.

Vanity Fair and Its Long Obsession with Trump

For observers who follow Media Bias, Vanity Fair’s latest story fits a pattern. The magazine has invested years into what critics on the right call “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS), a reflexive hostility where any story about the 45th and 47th President becomes a chance to display contempt instead of curiosity.

This is the same outlet that ran the 2019 piece, “Trump Is Hated by Everyone Inside the White House,” a story built on unnamed voices claiming that the first Trump administration was close to total collapse. The collapse never came. Five years later, Trump is back in office with what his allies call a historic mandate, something his supporters see as proof that the coverage had more to do with wishful thinking on the left than serious reporting.

Over time, the magazine’s focus on Trump has started to look less like analysis and more like a habit. From picking apart his fast-food meals to predicting his political end for what feels like the thousandth time, the angle rarely changes. The constant theme is simple: drag down the President, drag down his voters, and keep the anti-Trump audience comforted.

This latest feature on Susie Wiles fits into that long-running pattern, critics say, by aiming to weaken trust inside the Trump circle and feed readers another story about chaos at the top.

When “Woke Groupthink” Replaces Real Reporting

What Wiles and her allies describe is not just one bad article, but a broader shift in how many legacy outlets operate. The goal, they argue, is no longer to report, but to control the storyline.

In their view, large parts of the press have stopped asking basic questions like who, what, when, and where. Instead, they start with one fixed why: How do we stop the populist movement?

This is what critics call “Woke Groupthink”, a mindset where anything that lines up with the “Orange Man Bad” script gets front-page treatment, and anything that might show a more complex or positive picture is ignored or buried.

The treatment of Wiles’s comments about Attorney General Pam Bondi and Vice President JD Vance shows this pattern clearly, her defenders say. The Vanity Fair story highlights blunt, off-the-cuff criticism that Wiles offered in long interviews, but cuts most of the praise and respect she reportedly expressed for both leaders.

Inside the White House, aides say Wiles has often spoken at length about Bondi’s toughness on law enforcement and Vance’s discipline and message control. Those parts, they say, did not fit the preferred story of a team at war with itself, so they did not make the final cut.

The Media’s Ongoing Fight with Reality

The constant distortion, in the view of Trump supporters, is not an accident. They see it as a strategy, meant to distract from the concrete results of the second Trump term.

They point to three areas in particular:

Economic Rebound: Supporters highlight strong growth and job numbers in the first year of the new term, with markets responding to deregulation and renewed energy production.
Border Security: The administration rolled out an aggressive new approach to immigration enforcement, and officials say illegal crossings have fallen sharply.
Foreign Policy: Backers praise a “Peace Through Strength” posture that has cooled talk of new wars and pushed allies to carry more of their defence burden.

To many media elites in New York and Washington, those same results are a problem, not a success story. If Trump delivers on promises around jobs, security, and foreign policy, the case for a permanent globalist class, in their eyes, starts to look thin.

That is where writers like Chris Whipple come in. They gain the trust of officials, collect hours of access, then, critics say, shape the final piece to match a conclusion that was fixed from the start.

The “Ice Maiden” Stands Her Ground

If Vanity Fair expected Susie Wiles to step back, or for Trump to distance himself from her, insiders say the plan backfired. People close to the President say that Trump was “unfazed” by the article and recognised it at once as what they describe as a last-ditch move from a fading publication to stay in the spotlight.

“The truth is the Trump White House has already accomplished more in eleven months than any other President has accomplished in eight years,” Wiles said. “None of this will stop our relentless pursuit of Making America Great Again!”

Rather than isolating her, the story pulled the senior team closer together. Cabinet members and senior staff, from JD Vance to Pam Bondi, have publicly and privately backed Wiles. They view the article as one more attempt to turn them against each other, and they say that effort has failed.

Inside the West Wing, aides now talk about the “Finest Cabinet in History” with a mix of pride and defiance, and they point to the attempted media pile-on as proof that their agenda is hitting a nerve.

The age when a glossy magazine profile could knock a presidency off balance seems to be over. Many voters have tuned out legacy outlets that once controlled the news cycle and are instead watching what happens in their own lives: paycheques, crime rates, border security, and global conflicts.

Susie Wiles continues to manage the White House with the same calm, tight operation that helped win Florida, then helped drive Trump back into the Oval Office. No one in the building expects the attacks to stop. In fact, most assume the hit pieces will keep coming.

But as this latest episode shows, when major outlets launch another broadside, they often misjudge their own blind spots. In the eyes of the Trump base, and many independents too, the loudest critics are still trapped in their own Trump Derangement Syndrome, and that makes it harder for them to land a clean shot.

Politics

Eric Swalwell’s Governor Campaign in Crisis After Multiple Assault Allegations Surface

Published

2 days ago

April 11, 2026

VORNews

SACRAMENTO – The race for California’s next governor took a seismic shift Friday as Representative Eric Swalwell’s campaign plummeted into chaos. Two separate investigative reports have surfaced detailing serious allegations of sexual assault and professional misconduct, leading to a mass exodus of campaign staff and a chorus of voices demanding his immediate withdrawal from the contest.

By Friday afternoon, what began as a promising bid to lead the nation’s most populous state appeared to be on the verge of total collapse.

The crisis began with a series of investigative reports published late Thursday and early Friday morning. The reports include testimony from former aides and acquaintances who allege a pattern of inappropriate behavior spanning several years.

One report details an incident of alleged sexual assault involving a former campaign volunteer during a 2022 fundraising event. A second report outlines multiple accounts of “predatory” professional misconduct, with several women describing an environment where career advancement was allegedly tied to personal favors.

While the Congressman has long been a fixture in national politics—known for his frequent cable news appearances and high-profile role in impeachment proceedings—these new allegations have created a political firestorm that transcends his usual partisan battles.

Eric Swalwell’s Campaign in Freefall

The internal reaction to the news was swift and devastating. By Friday morning, at least six senior staffers, including his campaign manager and communications director, had tendered their resignations.

In a joint statement, several departing aides expressed their inability to continue their work:

“We joined this campaign because we believed in a vision for California’s future. However, the nature of the allegations brought to light today is inconsistent with the values we hold. We can no longer, in good conscience, represent this candidacy.”

The loss of top-tier talent leaves the Swalwell operation without a functional leadership structure at a critical juncture in the primary cycle.

The political fallout has not been limited to internal staff. In California, where the Democratic Party holds a supermajority, the “blue wall” of support for Swalwell is rapidly crumbling.

Calls for Withdrawal

Prominent Allies: Several high-ranking members of the California Democratic delegation, who had previously endorsed Swalwell, issued a “wait-and-see” stance earlier in the day before eventually calling for him to step aside to “allow the party to heal.”
Gubernatorial Rivals: Rival candidates were more direct. State Senator Aisha Wahab and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis both issued statements Friday suggesting that the allegations make Swalwell’s continued presence in the race a “distraction” from the needs of Californians.
Advocacy Groups: Women’s rights organizations and political action committees that typically support Democratic candidates have frozen their funding and called for an independent investigation.

Swalwell’s Response

Representative Swalwell’s office released a brief, defiant statement Friday afternoon. In it, the Congressman denied the most severe allegations, calling them “politically motivated attacks” intended to derail his momentum.

“I have spent my career fighting for justice and the rule of law,” the statement read. “I am deeply saddened by the departure of my staff, but I intend to stay in this race and allow the facts to come out. I ask for the public to reserve judgment until the full story is told.”

Despite the defiance, political analysts suggest the path forward is nearly non-existent. With no campaign infrastructure and a rapidly evaporating donor base, the logistics of a statewide run become nearly impossible.

The 2026 California Gubernatorial race is already one of the most expensive and watched contests in the country. With Governor Gavin Newsom termed out, the field is crowded with ambitious Democrats.

If Swalwell exits the race, it would trigger a massive realignment of endorsements and campaign contributions. Political strategist Marcus Thorne noted that the “Swalwell lane”—which focused on gun control and tech-forward policy—is now wide open.

“This isn’t just about one man anymore,” Thorne said. “This is about the integrity of the Democratic primary. If he stays in, he risks dragging the entire party down with him in a year where every vote counts.”

The coming days will be decisive. California’s filing deadlines are approaching, and the pressure from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is reportedly intensifying behind the scenes.

For now, the Congressman remains in the race, but he finds himself increasingly isolated on a political island. As the sun set over the State Capitol on Friday, the question among Sacramento insiders was no longer if Swalwell would exit, but when.

Key Takeaways from the Friday Crisis:

Two Investigative Reports: Allegations include sexual assault and workplace misconduct.
Mass Resignations: Key leadership, including the Campaign Manager, has quit.
Bipartisan Pressure: Both allies and rivals are demanding he end his bid for Governor.
Political Vacuum: A Swalwell exit would shift millions of dollars in potential donations to other candidates.

The scandal marks a stunning turn for a politician who once sought the Presidency and has been a leading voice in the House of Representatives. In the fast-moving world of California politics, the next 72 hours will likely determine if Eric Swalwell’s political career can survive or if this is the final chapter.

Related News:

Major Lawsuit Questions Eric Swalwell’s California Governor Eligibility

Politics

New York Governor Hochul Slammed For Begging Rich to Return

Published

1 week ago

April 3, 2026

VORNews

NEW YORK – Governor Kathy Hochul faces criticism from both sides of the aisle. She recently urged wealthy people who fled the state to come back. However, folks still remember her 2022 campaign remarks. Back then, she told opponents to grab a bus ticket to Florida.

This change fuels charges of inconsistency. It also spotlights New York’s shrinking tax base. The state struggles to fund its big social programs as a result.

At a Politico event this month, Hochul discussed state finances. She rejected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push for higher taxes on the rich. Instead, she stressed the need to keep or attract high earners.

“We need high-net-worth people to back our generous social programs,” she said. Some patriotic millionaires already pay extra, she noted. Then she added a key point. “First, let’s head to Palm Beach and convince some to return home. Our tax base has shrunk too much.”

Hochul admitted that other states offer lower taxes for people and businesses. Data backs this up. Many rich New Yorkers have moved to Florida, Texas, and similar spots in recent years.

Critics point to her words from four years ago. Hochul campaigned against Republican Lee Zeldin. She aimed barbs at Donald Trump and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.

“Trump, Zeldin, and Molinaro should jump on a bus to Florida where you fit. Get out of town. You don’t match our values,” she declared.

Now, people say those comments pushed conservatives and tax-weary wealthy folks to leave. Many packed up for warmer, cheaper states. Social media lights up with side-by-side videos of her old rant and new appeal. Commentators call it desperate or a total reversal. Budget woes drive the shift, they claim.

New York’s Tax Base Challenges

The state counts on top earners for most income tax revenue. A few percent of residents cover a huge chunk. When they go, schools, health care, transit, and services suffer big losses.

IRS data shows an outflow of rich people and workers. Palm Beach County in Florida draws a lot of that wealth.

Hochul’s camp highlights New York’s strengths in finance, tech, culture, and business. Still, they recognize the competition. Florida’s no-income-tax policy and lower living costs pull people away.

Several factors fuel this exodus, reports show. High income taxes lead the pack since New York tops national rates. Housing, utilities, and daily costs stay sky-high, especially near the city. Remote work after COVID lets pros relocate easily. Policy clashes over crime, schools, and rules send some packing. Plus, many skipped town during pandemic lockdowns and stayed gone.

Reactions Roll In from New Yorkers

Responses hit fast and hard. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican running for governor, dubbed it Hochul’s most honest moment. He mocked the pitch to swap Palm Beach sunshine, no state tax, and calm for New York’s issues. Cut taxes and costs instead of pleading, he advised.

Conservatives and business leaders agree. They push for tax cuts, fewer rules, and safer streets to compete. Appeals to patriotic millionaires won’t cut it, they say.

Some Democrats back her, though. They view it as facing facts. A wide tax base funds key services without slamming one group. The state offers incentives to lure businesses and people, they add. Online, memes mock the flip. “Come back, we need your tax money” pops up everywhere.

Bigger Picture: Blue State Exodus

New York isn’t unique. California and Illinois lose residents and firms to low-tax red states, too. This trend stirs national debates. Experts warn of a downward spiral. Fewer taxpayers force rate hikes. That chases away more people.

Hochul resists broad tax hikes on the rich during budget battles. She wants the state to stay competitive. Yet progressives like Mamdani demand more from top earners. Her words seek balance. Keep taxes fair and draw back high earners. With re-election looming, this topic matters. Voters watch budget moves, the economy, and daily life.

Tax-cut fans urge affordable homes, safe streets, cheap energy, and pro-business rules. Left-leaning critics want steeper taxes on the rich and bigger social spending.

Regular New Yorkers ask why people left and what pulls them back for good. Hochul reopened that talk publicly. Her Palm Beach plea may fall flat without policy fixes. Reactions so far scream too late. The next months will show if migration reverses or wealth keeps flowing out. Her mixed signals leave some confused and others mad.

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Who Is Leading the Democratic Party in 2026?

Politics

Trump Ousts Attorney General Pam Bondi, Taps Loyalist Todd Blanche

Published

1 week ago

April 3, 2026

VORNews

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump shocked the Justice Department on Thursday. He fired Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General. Her deputy, Todd Blanche, steps in right away as acting attorney general.

Trump posted the news on Truth Social. He called Bondi a great American patriot. She now heads to a key private-sector job. Trump praised Blanche as a talented legal expert. This switch follows weeks of backlash against Bondi’s leadership. People questioned her work on big cases.

Bondi served about a year as attorney general. She started in early 2025. The Senate confirmed her on strict party lines.

Both parties criticized her during that time. Some said she chased politically driven cases. Others doubted the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Epstein, the convicted sex offender, still draws huge attention.

Lawmakers from both sides accused her team of delaying sensitive papers. They wanted more openness. Bipartisan pressure built up.

Bondi fought back in statements. She highlighted fraud fights and immigration work. Reports show Trump talked with advisors for days about a change. Bondi knew about those chats.

In her statement, Bondi said she felt proud to serve. She plans a smooth handover with Blanche over the next month. She looks forward to her private job. There, she will keep backing Trump’s goals.

Meet Todd Blanche: Trump’s Pick for Acting AG

Todd Blanche, age 51, has a solid legal background. He began as a federal prosecutor in New York City’s Southern District. For almost 10 years, he tackled violent crimes, fraud, and corruption.

Later, he joined private practice at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft as a partner. He handled investigations and defenses. His clients included Paul Manafort and Rudy Giuliani. Most importantly, he defended Donald Trump.

Blanche led Trump’s team in the New York hush-money case with Stormy Daniels. He also worked on the 2020 election issues and the classified documents matter.

Trump trusted him after that close teamwork. Post-2024 election, Trump picked him as deputy attorney general. The Senate approved him 52-46 in March 2025.

As deputy, Blanche ran daily operations. That covers the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals. He even acted as the librarian of Congress briefly. This firing marks the second major cabinet exit lately. Other spots in the administration faced shake-ups, too.

Friction points included several issues. First, the Epstein files stirred trouble. People questioned the release timing and fullness. That led to favoritism claims.

Next, some saw aggressive pursuits against Trump’s foes. In addition, internal fights over staff, focus, and messages grew. Trump stressed loyalty and outcomes in his post. He thanked Bondi. He showed faith in Blanche’s skills. Blanche replied fast on social media. He thanked Bondi for leadership and friendship. He also thanked Trump for the chance.

How Parties Responded

Democrats hit back hard. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer worried about Blanche’s Trump lawyer’s past. They fear it mixes loyalty with fair justice. Some noted his Ghislaine Maxwell interview. Maxwell is linked to Epstein. Critics called it wrong, but transcripts showed no formal deal.

Republicans backed the move. They praised Bondi’s crime and border work. They view Blanche as a steady prosecutor who gets Trump’s plans. Experts note acting AGs often fill in short-term. The White House hunts for a Senate-approved permanent pick. EPA head Lee Zeldin pops up in talks.

The department has over 115,000 staff. It covers security and rights protection. Top changes hit morale, probes, and policies. Blanche promises steady work in key spots. He talks up fraud battles, police support, and trust-building lately.

Fans like his prosecutor-defense mix for balance. Critics worry Trump ties mean more politics. For now, he handles the switch. He juggles big cases while they pick a long-term boss.

Trump might nominate Blanche full-time. Sources say he considers other loyal conservatives, too. Any pick needs Senate okay. Republicans hold a slim edge. Hearings could spark fights over independence. Bondi’s leave prompts oversight vows. Both parties plan checks, maybe testimony on old calls.

Trump ousted Pam Bondi after 14 months. Todd Blanche, his ex-lawyer and deputy, takes the acting AG role. Criticism over the Epstein files and more drove it. Bondi heads private; she sees it as an honor.

Todd Blanche offers New York prosecution chops and private know-how. Parties split: loyalty vs. fairness worries. It fits recent staff shifts. Blanche now guides Justice amid heat. Watch how he handles probes and politics.