The Briefing with Jen Psaki Trump chief of staff makes disastrous miscalculation in talks with reporter
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Dec 17, 2025 
Dan Pfeiffer, former White House communications director and co-host of Pod Save America, joins U.S. Representative Adam Smith to discuss startling revelations about Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles. They highlight her misjudgments in media engagements showing a chaotic White House. Smith dives into the legality of recent U.S. military actions near Venezuela, questioning their motivations and implications for war powers. They also touch on looming healthcare threats as political pressure mounts, emphasizing the urgent need for voter mobilization.
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Chief Of Staff As Enabler
- Susie Wiles' 11 on-the-record interviews reveal she acted more as an enabler than a gatekeeper to President Trump.
- That dynamic helps explain the administration's dysfunction and unchecked impulses.
Admissions Reveal Lack Of Oversight
- Wiles admitted to folding to Trump on major decisions like pardons and agency dismantling instead of checking facts or pushing back.
- Those admissions show the chief of staff often implemented impulses without vetting consequences.
Epstein Files And Maxwell Transfer
- Wiles told Vanity Fair that Trump's name appears on Jeffrey Epstein's flight manifest and framed those visits as youthful socializing.
- She also said she and Trump were unaware why Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred to a lower-security facility.