The reporter from The Washington Post asked Vice President JD Vance in public:

"White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles called you a 'conspiracy theorist' in an interview. She said you support President Trump for political opportunism. Sir, how do you respond?"

Vance said that sometimes I really am a conspiracy theorist. But I only believe those conspiracy theories that are eventually proven to be true.

On this topic, Vance also made brief comments on President Trump and Chief of Staff Wiles.

He said, "President Trump is the same person in front of the camera as behind the scenes."

As for Susie Wiles, she is the most loyal chief of staff I have ever seen. In Washington, too many people act one way in front of the president and another behind his back. But Susie isn't like that. What she says to the president in his presence, she does when he's not around. She never goes against the president's wishes.

The American people elect the president, not the aides. The duty of the aides is to carry out the orders of the commander-in-chief elected by the people.

It's hard to tell whether it's Vance's tactfulness or his broad-mindedness, but he accepted criticism with openness and gave kind and friendly affirmations to critics. This reflects a broad, generous, fair, inclusive, friendly, and collaborative attitude. Especially the statement "The American people elect the president, not the aides. The duty of the aides is to carry out the orders of the commander-in-chief elected by the people." It is straightforward and clear, and the so-called "conspiracy theory" falls apart on its own.

It is a broad-minded heart and a partner in teamwork.

Vance's response can be interpreted as a carefully calculated political strategy. Its core goal is not merely to refute criticism, but to redefine the narrative, consolidate his political position, and demonstrate internal unity.

The article published by Vanity Fair was released on December 16, 2025, and caused controversy because of the sensitive nature of the topic.

The core viewpoints of Wiles in the report were as follows:

About Trump: She described him as having a "drunkard's personality," not referring to drinking, but rather a personality trait of extreme confidence, believing oneself to be capable of anything.

About Vice President Vance: She called him a "conspiracy theorist for ten years" and implied his support for Trump was due to "political calculation."

About others: She described Elon Musk as "absurdly strange" and said he uses drugs; she criticized Attorney General Bondi for "completely failing" in handling the Epstein files.

About her own role: She stated she was not a "facilitator," but admitted she had disagreements with the president on issues such as tariffs and pardons, and ultimately followed the president's decision.

After the article was published, Wiles quickly refuted it on social media, calling the article "malicious and distorted smear," missing important context. The White House press secretary also criticized the article as "dishonest" and "taken out of context."

Despite the shocking content of the report, the reaction within the White House showed a highly consistent "unified" stance:

· President Trump himself: He did not read the article, but praised Wiles "for doing an excellent job," and did not object to the description of the "drunkard's personality."

Officials who were criticized: Several high-ranking officials, including Vance and Attorney General Bondi, publicly defended Wiles, emphasizing her loyalty and capability.

This reaction indicates that in Trump's second term, loyalty to the president personally was given the highest priority. As one of the president's most trusted assistants, Wiles' "loyalty" protected her from internal criticism. At the same time, this could also be an external unified strategy aimed at preventing internal conflicts from being magnified by the media.

This incident appeared to be a verbal battle over "conspiracy theories," but it was actually a successful political performance through Vance's response, and the subsequent image of unity from the White House more deeply reflected its internal power dynamics. (Material sourced from the internet, for reference only)

Original: toutiao.com/article/1851792271560716/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.