Trump White House blasts NYT report on JD Vance as ‘fake news,’ denies Wiles claim
WASHINGTON, DC: The Trump White House, on Saturday, May 30, is forcefully pushing back against a New York Times report that claimed Chief of Staff Susie Wiles advised Vice President JD Vance to scale back his social media activity.
In a public response, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung accused the newspaper of publishing a false account despite being informed that the alleged conversation never took place.
This isn’t true. We denied it to the New York Times and they refused to run our quote. Complete fake news. This supposed “conversation” never happened. https://t.co/P7tqDr9dSk
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) May 30, 2026
White House busts 'NYT lies'
The dispute erupted after The New York Times reported that Wiles and other West Wing officials had urged Vance to spend less time engaging in online battles, arguing that public feuds on social media were beneath the office of the vice president.
According to the report, Wiles had recently advised Vance to take a break from social media as concerns grew over his habit of directly engaging with critics online. Many social media users re-posted the claim online.
Cheung swiftly rejected the narrative.
“This isn’t true,” he wrote on X. “We denied it to the New York Times and they refused to run our quote. Complete fake news. This supposed ‘conversation’ never happened.”
The response represented a direct challenge not only to the report's characterization of Vance but also to the newspaper's reporting process.
By claiming the administration had already denied the allegation before publication, Cheung suggested the outlet knowingly ignored the White House's position.
The Times article painted Vance as one of the administration's most online political figures, describing him as someone who frequently monitors social media and engages in real-time exchanges with opponents.
The report contrasted that approach with President Donald Trump's own social media habits, noting that while Trump posts regularly, he generally does not spend significant time responding directly to users.
“Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, recently advised Mr. Vance to take a break from social media, as have other officials in the West Wing, according to people familiar with those interactions, because the fighting was beneath his office”https://t.co/AuMCSQwIW4
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) May 30, 2026
Report examines Trump's assessment of Vance
Beyond the social media claim, the Times article explored Trump's private discussions about Vance's political future.
According to the report, Trump has continued to elevate the vice president inside the administration and has entrusted him with major assignments.
However, the newspaper reported that the president has also privately questioned whether Vance is the inevitable heir to the Republican movement after Trump leaves office.
The report claimed Trump has occasionally compared Vance's political record with his own, noting that Vance's rise was aided by Trump's endorsement during his Ohio Senate campaign.
It also alleged that Trump has raised questions about some of Vance's political decisions and public appearances while discussing his long-term prospects with aides and allies.
