White House Demands Politico Retract Stories About Susie Wiles
White House Counsel Will Scharf demanded Politico retract three stories about Chief of Staff Susie Wiles or face potential legal action by Thursday.
The White House counsel's office issued a formal warning to Politico on Monday, demanding the retraction or correction of three stories concerning Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Will Scharf, the White House Counsel, characterized the reporting as gossip-peddling and specifically disputed a claim that President Donald Trump was considering replacing Wiles. Scharf set a 48-hour deadline expiring Thursday for the outlet to issue a public apology to the president and Wiles.
While the administration has not specified the exact consequences for non-compliance, a White House official stated that all options are on the table. The administration has threatened an immediate review of Politico's relationship with the government and the pursuit of legal remedies if the demands are not met.
This dispute follows a pattern of tension between the Trump administration and the press. Politico, CNN, and MS NOW were previously banned from the Oval Office and Air Force One, though a judge restored their access to White House grounds on October 13. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung further escalated the conflict by accusing Politico of being a foreign operation intended to interfere in American politics, citing the outlet's ownership by the German company Axel Springer.
