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Disbelief as White House suggests Susie Wiles may not have known she was on record
Despite having about a year's worth of interviews — 11 to be exact — for an in-depth Vanity Fair story, White House insiders scrambled on Tuesday, suggesting to CNN that President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles may not have known she was on the record.
The bombshell story prompted a White House meltdown and plenty of chatter in Washington, D.C.
"But obviously this has really left the White House and not just the White House, but Trump world as a whole in a state of shock," CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes said. "I cannot tell you how many conspiracy theories I've heard about how this interview got published, whether it was the idea that she thought she was talking off the record, whether it was the idea that she was sitting for some kind of other interview that wasn't going to be published immediately, that it has something to do with the 2028 campaign, because Susie Wiles is a calculated and political figure. Everything she does has meaning."
The interview was an unusual move for Wiles, who generally has stood guard behind the scenes.
"She is not somebody who seeks the limelight," Holmes added. "She doesn't get out there in the press and do interviews. So the fact that she did this to so many people who are close to President Trump say that it must mean something. Now, of course, again, Wiles has said that that's not the case, that it was just taken out of context. There was an omission in much of what she said. But again, this has caused quite a stir here at the White House."
Social media users responded to the story and Wiles' accusations that she might not have known the interviews were to be included in the story.
"Susie Wiles: What’s that recorder for? Reporter: Recording your answers. Susie Wiles: Right, like I’m going to say anything that’ll come back to bite me in the a--. Ha!" Chris Robinson, former referee and manager, wrote on X.
"Why would a chief of staff agree to an interview that she may now be saying she thought was off the record???. Under those circumstances it's not an 'interview,'" Duff Montgomerie, who described himself as a retired public servant, wrote on X.
"If you give multiple interviews to Vanity Fair and don’t know whether or not you are on or off the record - then you are not qualified to be a chief of staff. Speaking as a chief of staff," Dj Omega Mvp wrote on X.
"Translation: CNN can't believe Wiles would be that dumb," college instructor Anthony M. Hopper wrote on X.
"Haha! So now Wiles & the White House want to follow the rules," social worker and gerontologist Dolly Madison wrote on X.
"She’s been around long enough," retired attorney and professor Howell Ellerman wrote on X.
‘It’s not me wearing a MAGA hat!’ Dem scrambles as identical twin leaps into politics
Sometimes, identical twins enter politics together. One of the most famous examples are Julián and Joaquin Castro, who have both held various offices in Texas. But in Indiana, something even more unusual is brewing: a pair of identical twins active in politics — but in opposite parties.
The reveal came on Tuesday, when Indianapolis City Councilor Nick Roberts posted a video statement on X, captioned, "Addressing something you might have heard about. And no, this isn’t a joke."
"My identical twin brother, Nate, has recently decided to get involved in Republican politics," said Roberts. "While this might seem ridiculous for a lot of reasons, it's been very confusing because we look similar, because he's a Republican, and because a lot of people didn't know I was a twin in the first place."
"Like a lot of families, we have a lot of political disagreement in ours, and it's just something that we've had to deal with," said Roberts. "So, just know if you see somebody that looks like me at a Republican event, or definitely if they're wearing a MAGA hat, it is not me. It is him. And while we disagree on a lot of things, he's still my brother and I care about him. We just disagree on basically every single political issue."
Roberts' brother recently gained attention when he spoke at the Indiana legislature in support of President Donald Trump's mid-decade gerrymandering scheme that would have deleted the state's two Democratic congressional districts. That plan, which triggered months of White House pressure and violent threats against Indiana lawmakers, ultimately failed as even a majority of the GOP state Senate caucus voted it down.
This is not the first time a pair of brothers has found themselves on opposite sides in politics. Another such pair is Brad Woodhouse, who heads up the liberal health care group Protect Our Care, and Dallas Woodhouse, who previously headed the North Carolina Republican Party.
The real Trump Derangement Syndrome
Nick Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist.
‘Badly broken’ Trump triggers swift outrage with double-down on Rob Reiner attack
President Donald Trump sent the internet into a frenzy on Monday afternoon after he doubled down on his comments about slain director Rob Reiner from earlier in the day.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning that Reiner suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and said the director died "due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction." The comments sparked bipartisan outrage.
Reiner and his wife, Michelle, were found dead in their Hollywood home on Saturday night. Authorities have identified the Reiners' 32-year-old son, Nick, as the primary suspect in the case after he and Rob had an argument at a holiday party hosted by talk show host Conan O'Brien, according to CNN.
Trump doubled down on those comments when CNN's Kristen Holmes asked Trump about the criticism he received from Republicans during a press conference on Monday afternoon.
"I wasn't a fan of his at all," Trump said. "He was a deranged person."
Political analysts and observers condemned Trump's comments on social media.
"FFS," conservative columnist Charlie Sykes posted on X.
"I know his staff is beyond shame, but each and every one of them should feel utterly embarrassed to work for a human this badly broken," political speechwriter Zev Karlin Neumann posted on X.
"Just disgusting," writer Olivia Juliana posted on X.
"What are the deletists going to say now?" entertainment entrepreneur Ian Schaefer posted on X.
"Hey, Erika Kirk! Are you going to tell F---face over here to tone down the hateful rhetoric?" writer Polly Singh asked on X.
"This is why we all can’t wait for the day," Democratic digital strategist Ally Sammarco posted on X.
Kristi Noem forced to face combat veteran whose Irish wife has been jailed for four months
Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was put in the awkward position of apologizing to U.S. military veterans whose lives have been turned upside down, after a Democratic lawmaker who came armed to the teeth with tales of ICE immigrant overreach.
During questioning before the House Homeland Security Committee, the embattled Noem, who is reportedly on the way out at DHS, was confronted by Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) who followed up her claim, “We have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans,” by asking, “I don't believe you served in the military. I haven't either, but I think you and I can agree that, as Americans, we owe everything to those who have served our country in uniform, particularly those who have served in combat. Do you agree with that?”
She answered, “I believe that people that are in this United States that are citizens have legal status here.”
Magaziner then offered up a Purple Heart veteran who is now living in South Korea due to ICE, and who appeared at the hearing via Zoom, before directing her attention to veteran Jim Brown, who was in the audience and whose wife, a native of Ireland, has been jailed by DHS for four months as she awaits deportation.
In an interview with the Guardian, Brown gained national attention for confessing, “... he ‘100%”’regretted voting for Donald Trump as president.”
“Madam Secretary, the man behind you, please stand up, sir, his name is Jim Brown from Troy, Missouri," Magaziner began. “He is a Navy combat veteran who served our country in the Gulf War. He's married to a woman named Donna who came to our country legally from Ireland when she was 11 years old. She has lived here for 48 years. Because of you. Jim's wife, Donna, has been in prison for the last four months. She did not come here illegally and she has never committed any crime other than writing two bad checks totaling $80.10 years ago. She is currently in prison and facing deportation.”
“Miss Noem, will you thank Mr. Brown for his service to our country?” he asked.
Noem turned in her seat to the right and murmured to the standing veteran, "Thank you, Mr. Brown, for your service to our country.”
"Now, what possible explanation can there be for locking up his wife for four months when she has committed no crime, other than writing a couple of bad checks for $80?” the Democratic lawmaker pressed.
“Sir, it is not my prerogative, my attitude or my job to pick and choose which laws in this country get enforced,” she demurred.
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‘Modern Gestapo!’ Protests erupt as Kristi Noem leaves hearing early
Protesters lashed out at Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she left a hearing early.
Hours before the House Homeland Security Committee was scheduled to adjourn on Thursday, Noem said she had to leave to attend to department business.
"I have to actually leave this hearing early because the FEMA review council is giving their report today on suggestions for changes to FEMA," the secretary said before getting up to exit the hearing.
As she left, protesters could be shouting, "Shame!"
"You are the modern SS & Gestapo!" a demonstrator yelled as Noem hugged "Angel Mom" Agnes Gibboney, whose son was allegedly shot and killed by an undocumented immigrant.
Protesters accused Noem of using Gibboney as a shield.
Mike Johnson cuts risky deal as hardliners threaten shutdown
House Speaker Mike Johnson barely muscled the annual defense bill through the chamber after caving to GOP hardliners — and now they’re openly warning they’ll blow up the next government funding measure if he wavers. Axios reports Johnson promised votes on banning congressional stock trades, blocking a Federal Reserve digital currency, and advancing a far-right bill restricting gender-affirming care, along with a separate pledge from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to target NGO funds in Afghanistan. With another shutdown threat looming and a pivotal vote on ACA subsidies coming soon, Johnson’s shaky deal has only deepened the GOP’s own internal chaos, according to the report.
Watch the video below.
Mike Johnson cuts risky NDAA deal as hardliners threaten shutdown
Ex-Senator warns boat strike scandal could ‘consume’ and topple Trump administration
Former Senator Claire McCaskill warned that the Trump administration could be undone by last month’s controversial boat strike in the Caribbean, which reportedly targeted survivors clinging to wreckage — actions that whistleblowers say may constitute war crimes. Appearing on MSNBC, McCaskill slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for withholding video footage, arguing the administration’s secrecy proves how damaging the strike is. She also criticized Trump’s handling of the military and highlighted growing Republican concern, calling the episode a “story that will consume” the administration until fully exposed.
Watch the video below.
Ex-Senator warns boat strike scandal could “consume” and topple Trump administration
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Disbelief as White House suggests Susie Wiles may not have known she was on record
Despite having about a year's worth of interviews — 11 to be exact — for an in-depth Vanity Fair story, White House insiders scrambled on Tuesday, suggesting to CNN that President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles may not have known she was on the record.
The bombshell story prompted a White House meltdown and plenty of chatter in Washington, D.C.
"But obviously this has really left the White House and not just the White House, but Trump world as a whole in a state of shock," CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes said. "I cannot tell you how many conspiracy theories I've heard about how this interview got published, whether it was the idea that she thought she was talking off the record, whether it was the idea that she was sitting for some kind of other interview that wasn't going to be published immediately, that it has something to do with the 2028 campaign, because Susie Wiles is a calculated and political figure. Everything she does has meaning."
The interview was an unusual move for Wiles, who generally has stood guard behind the scenes.
"She is not somebody who seeks the limelight," Holmes added. "She doesn't get out there in the press and do interviews. So the fact that she did this to so many people who are close to President Trump say that it must mean something. Now, of course, again, Wiles has said that that's not the case, that it was just taken out of context. There was an omission in much of what she said. But again, this has caused quite a stir here at the White House."
Social media users responded to the story and Wiles' accusations that she might not have known the interviews were to be included in the story.
"Susie Wiles: What’s that recorder for? Reporter: Recording your answers. Susie Wiles: Right, like I’m going to say anything that’ll come back to bite me in the a--. Ha!" Chris Robinson, former referee and manager, wrote on X.
"Why would a chief of staff agree to an interview that she may now be saying she thought was off the record???. Under those circumstances it's not an 'interview,'" Duff Montgomerie, who described himself as a retired public servant, wrote on X.
"If you give multiple interviews to Vanity Fair and don’t know whether or not you are on or off the record - then you are not qualified to be a chief of staff. Speaking as a chief of staff," Dj Omega Mvp wrote on X.
"Translation: CNN can't believe Wiles would be that dumb," college instructor Anthony M. Hopper wrote on X.
"Haha! So now Wiles & the White House want to follow the rules," social worker and gerontologist Dolly Madison wrote on X.
"She’s been around long enough," retired attorney and professor Howell Ellerman wrote on X.
‘It’s not me wearing a MAGA hat!’ Dem scrambles as identical twin leaps into politics
Sometimes, identical twins enter politics together. One of the most famous examples are Julián and Joaquin Castro, who have both held various offices in Texas. But in Indiana, something even more unusual is brewing: a pair of identical twins active in politics — but in opposite parties.
The reveal came on Tuesday, when Indianapolis City Councilor Nick Roberts posted a video statement on X, captioned, "Addressing something you might have heard about. And no, this isn’t a joke."
"My identical twin brother, Nate, has recently decided to get involved in Republican politics," said Roberts. "While this might seem ridiculous for a lot of reasons, it's been very confusing because we look similar, because he's a Republican, and because a lot of people didn't know I was a twin in the first place."
"Like a lot of families, we have a lot of political disagreement in ours, and it's just something that we've had to deal with," said Roberts. "So, just know if you see somebody that looks like me at a Republican event, or definitely if they're wearing a MAGA hat, it is not me. It is him. And while we disagree on a lot of things, he's still my brother and I care about him. We just disagree on basically every single political issue."
Roberts' brother recently gained attention when he spoke at the Indiana legislature in support of President Donald Trump's mid-decade gerrymandering scheme that would have deleted the state's two Democratic congressional districts. That plan, which triggered months of White House pressure and violent threats against Indiana lawmakers, ultimately failed as even a majority of the GOP state Senate caucus voted it down.
This is not the first time a pair of brothers has found themselves on opposite sides in politics. Another such pair is Brad Woodhouse, who heads up the liberal health care group Protect Our Care, and Dallas Woodhouse, who previously headed the North Carolina Republican Party.
Trump blindsided by DOJ decision to move Ghislaine Maxwell to low-security prison: aide
Donald Trump was “mighty unhappy” and caught off guard when the Justice Department transferred convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security prison after interviewing her, according to unusually candid remarks from his chief of staff, Susie Wiles. In interviews with Vanity Fair, Wiles said the decision was driven by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, not the president, and insisted Trump had no advance knowledge of the move.
Watch the video below.
Trump blindsided by DOJ decision to move Ghislaine Maxwell to minimum-security prison
