Did Donald Trump admit to having an 'alcoholic's personality' while backing Susie Wiles' Vanity Fair interview?

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday heaped praises on White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, even backing her statement given to Vanity Fair that claimed that he “has an alcoholic's personality”, as per a report by the New York Post.

In an exclusive interview with The Post on Tuesday, Trump said that although he does not drink alcohol, Wiles was right to say that if he did, he would have a strong chance of becoming an alcoholic.

“No, she meant that I’m — you see, I don’t drink alcohol. So everybody knows that — but I’ve often said that if I did, I’d have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It’s a very possessive personality," Trump told the New York Post.

The US president is a teetotaler and has often talked about the death of Fred, his older brother, from alcohol-related issues as the reason he does not drink.

“I’ve said that many times about myself. I’m fortunate I’m not a drinker. If I did, I could very well, because I’ve said that — what’s the word? Not possessive — possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I’ve said it many times, many times before," Trump added.

What did Susie Wiles say in her interview?

In her interview with Vanity Fair, published on 16 December, Wiles said that the personalities of high-functioning alcoholics, or alcoholics in general, are exaggerated when they drink. She also described herself as “a little bit of an expert in big personalities”.

Wiles spoke with the author of the Vanity Fair article, Chris Whipple, on 11 occasions over the past year, and even called Vice President JD Vance “a conspiracy theorist for a decade”.

Trump backs Wiles, but slams publication, interviewer

Although Trump backed his chief of staff's comments in the meeting, he criticised both the publication and the interviewer, Whipple.

“I didn’t read it, but I don’t read Vanity Fair — but she’s done a fantastic job,” Trump said about the report written by Whipple.

He went on, “I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer, purposely misguided,” as per the NY Post.

However, when asked about his confidence in Wiles, Trump said, “Oh, she’s fantastic.”

He went on about the author, claiming that Whipple had deceived Wiles.

“Yeah, deceived — and he didn’t have great access, a couple of very short interviews. And Susie generally doesn’t do interviews,” Trump said, adding, “If anybody knows the interviewer, and if they know Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair is a totally — it’s lost its way. It’s also lost its readers, as you know. No, she’s fantastic.”

How did JD Vance react to 'conspiracy theorist' claims?

Vice President Vance has also followed his boss's lead, praising Wiles and telling reporters in Pennsylvania, “Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist,” adding, “But I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true — and by the way, Susie and I have joked in private and in public about that for a long time.”

He then took a jab at former President Joe Biden while clarifying his stance on the issue, saying, as per the NY Post, “I believed in this crazy conspiracy theory that the media and the government were covering up the fact that Joe Biden was clearly unable to do the job. And I believed in the conspiracy theory that Joe Biden was trying to throw his political opponents in jail, rather than win an argument against his political opponents.”