Trump Knows
The Scary Meaning of the Most Important Story of the Trump Administration So Far
Hi All,
Easily the most important story so far about the inner workings of the second Trump Administration appeared yesterday. It appeared in Vanity Fair, and was based on numerous interviews with Trump’s political inner circle. in particular with his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The story is very detailed and in two parts, and here are links to take you to archived versions of both sections.
For those who do not know Wiles, she is arguably the most important person in the administration not named Trump (with Trump, family always comes first). A long-time Republican political operative, Wiles was taken onboard during Trump’s first election campaign when she was his Florida chair (a rather important position considering the crucial weight of Florida’s electoral votes). Wiles stayed very close since and helped Trump win election again in 2024. She was them immediately named Chief of Staff. She runs the White House.
In other words, Trump trusts her politically as much as he trusts any non family member and she knows where the bodies are buried.
This makes the whole story invaluable and worth a close read. There are many extraordinary tidbits. RFK Jr and his anti-vax lunacy are not some fringe movement, for instance, but respected in the White House. This is how Wiles described him.
She referred to Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., another world-class disrupter, as “my Bobby” and “quirky Bobby.” In Wiles’s view, RFK Jr.’s shock treatment of HHS is warranted. “He pushes the envelope—some would say too far. But I say in order to get back to the middle, you have to push it too far.”
Another snippet I found interesting and which jibes with what I have heard, is that Vance and Rubio are at least seriously considering a joint ticket in 2028. This is Trump’s preferred choice, if Trump does not try somehow for a third term. Trump understands that if the Democrats ever regain the White House, his corruption and that of his family has left the latter in some jeopardy (even though he will almost certainly issue a pardon to every family member he can before leaving office). He therefore would like to see a Vance-Rubio unity ticket in 2028.
The whole story is fascinating. But it is Wiles’ comments that stand out as they are so frank and have the ring of honest answers. And this is particularly the case when it come to Putin and the Russo-Ukraine War.
