Susie Wiles questions JD Vance’s credibility, claims he has been a 'conspiracy theorist' for years
WASHINGTON, DC: White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said Vice President JD Vance has been a "conspiracy theorist" for more than a decade.
Wiles made the remarks in an interview with Vanity Fair author Chris Whipple, where she discussed how senior officials viewed the political importance of releasing files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
According to Wiles, some members of the administration understood early on how strongly President Donald Trump’s base supported transparency around the Epstein records.
Susie Wiles discusses Epstein files and internal dynamics
Wiles said FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino were among those who grasped how central the issue was to Trump’s supporters.
"The people that really appreciated what a big deal this is are Kash and Dan Bongino," Wiles said, according to the interview.
She attributed that awareness to their prior engagement with the issue before joining the administration.
"Because they lived in that world," Wiles said.
Wiles then turned to Vance, offering a blunt assessment of his background. "And the vice president, who’s been a conspiracy theorist for a decade," she said.
She also referenced Patel’s long-standing calls for the release of Epstein-related materials, noting that some expectations about the contents of the files did not align with what investigators later determined.
Criticism extends to the Justice Department
In the same interview, Wiles criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of expectations surrounding the release of the Epstein files, suggesting the issue was underestimated.
"I think she completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this," Wiles said.
She described early outreach efforts to Trump supporters as ineffective. "First, she gave them binders full of nothingness," Wiles said.
Wiles also disputed Bondi’s prior public remarks about the existence of a client list. "Then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk," Wiles said. "There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk."
Transparency law signed by Trump
The remarks come weeks after Trump signed the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act' into law in November, following bipartisan passage in both chambers of Congress.
The legislation gives the Justice Department 30 days to release most of the Epstein-related materials, subject to redactions required by law.
Trump has framed the measure as part of a broader push for transparency and accountability, particularly on issues long questioned by the public.
Administration officials have said that the review process is ongoing and disclosures will comply with legal and privacy safeguards.
The White House has not issued a separate statement addressing her remarks about Vance or other officials mentioned in the interview.
Vance has also not publicly responded to the comments.
