While we collectively spiral and share the latest conspiracy theories of the day about what is happening in Washington, and who is really holding power, we’re all overlooking the glaring green light. Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff, was touted immediately as organized and methodical – exactly what Trump needed this go around in the Oval Office. She would bring a woman’s touch of planning and order to his team, just like she did with his 2024 campaign.
Wiles’ relationship with Trump started, as far as we can tell, in his 2016 campaign, where she had an “integral part”, according to Trump. She has a long history in politics that go back to the Reagan administration where she acted as an aide. She’s since ran campaigns for the likes of Ron DeSantis (though he urged Trump to sever his ties with her before his 2024 bid for office).
Wiles has connections to a wide range of politicians, whether it be through helping them with their campaigns, or just donating, her aspiration to stay in the shadows but influence American politics at a large scale is obvious. So obvious, in fact, that we’ve completely passed her over as the puppet master behind a lot of the insidious things happening already.
Those who opposed Donald Trump running again, and winning, are now trying to find the fire in all the smoke. Is it Elon Musk who is secretly controlling things behind the scenes? He’s clearly an evil force to reckon with in the political climate across the world, but one ominous hand gesture does not a mastermind make. Is it JD Vance that we have to be the most afraid of in the White House? He wrote the forward to Kevin Roberts’ Heritage Foundation-fueled book, but how committed to the cause can he be when he can’t even commit to a name?
No, as the smoke slowly dissipates, it’s becoming more crucial to watch the silent hand sleeved in black that is moving the puppet’s mouth behind the theatre. Susie Wiles has too many names floating between her and Trump’s second term to deem it all coincidental.
Starting with her lengthy list of political donations ranging from 1990 to the present, certain names stick out more than others. Rick Scott, George S. Lemieux, Paul Renner, John Rutherford, Bill Shuster, Dane Eagle, Ashley Moody, Greg Steube, Mike Waltz, Matt Gaetz, Max Miller, Herschel Walker, among many others shows her commitment to the conservative party. It also shows her strong discernment when it comes to who has what it takes to rise to the occasion, as well as garner support and curry favor.
The most known of the list are arguably Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, currently. Gaetz being Trump’s first pick for Attorney General, which ended with his resignation from the nomination when it became his lengthy past was here to haunt him for good. Waltz being Trump’s pick for his National Security Advisor cabinet position (this role doesn’t require Senate confirmation, so he holds that position unquestioned). It’s no leap to assume Wiles suggested, or at least supported, both of these men to be members of Trump’s newest Presidential cabinet, and it only goes to show Wiles’ strong connection to Trump as an advisor.
We’ve yet to see Trump publicly belittle or argue with Wiles, unlike his tense moments with Musk, Vance, and virtually any other staff member he’s ever had – be it political, business, or reality television. If anything, he’s consistently shown appreciation verging on adoration for the woman he referred to as the “Ice Maiden”. This, too, should cause concern. Either she’s completely in his ear, or the fall out from their work relationship will be devastating in more ways than one. The former, however, is much more likely given context clues and evidence.
We also know that her ex-husband, Lanny Wiles, played a small yet pivotal role in one of Trump’s first term scandals. He acted as the ‘Seat Holder’ for Natalia Veselnitskaya at the June 2016 House Foreign Affairs Committee; though he denied knowing who it was for or in what capacity the person was operating in, it’s hard to overlook this is the same person who met with Donald Trump, Jr. at the now infamous Trump Towers meeting. It also calls into question Lanny Wiles’ position as a Lobbyist registered as a foreign agent that same year, and who worked closely with Russian businessmen. For what it’s worth, Susie and Lanny divorced in 2017, though it could be coincidental.
One of the looser ropes holding up the tent over the circus is Wiles’ potential link(s) to the Heritage Foundation. While there are no glaring relationships to point to, it is interesting to note that a few of the trustees and powerful figures associated with the Heritage Foundation also worked in or around the Reagan administration just like Susie and Lanny Wiles. This is strictly circumstantial evidence, but when paired with everything it feels like more than a footnote.
In the end, Susie Wiles has been very successful in maintaining relative anonymity throughout her life and her decades-long political career, making her an unassuming figure in American government. Still, the little we do know seems to point to someone who has more clout with Trump than the other way around.