White House chief of staff Susie Wiles does not fit the bill as a Mar-a-Lago bombshell, yet she has found herself by the president’s side for a decade.

Donald Trump told the world, “She’s an amazing person, an amazing fighter,” during a March Cabinet meeting. Wiles, 68, served as his campaign manager during his 2024 reelection bid and as a member of the operations team during his 2016 presidential campaign.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (L) looks on as US President Donald Trump (C) meets with unseen Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 17, 2025. (Photo by TOM BRENNER / AFP via Getty Images)

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Wiles is among the least ridiculed figures in Trump’s inner circle, often working in the shadows and remaining tight-lipped when something distracting comes into the spotlight.

One major exception to that pattern is the controversial December 2025 Vanity Fair feature accompanied by unflattering photos of Wiles, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and others.

A second exception unfolded during an Oval Office press conference. Wiles nearly went undetected during the April 18 session, where Trump signed an executive order fast-tracking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s review of medications, like ibogaine, that treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.

“It’s one of the hottest things I think you’re talking about,” said Trump. He continued fumbling through the factsheet, reading off that clinical trials showed some people experienced an 80 percent to 90 percent reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety in just one month.

“Can I have some, please? I’ll take some. I’ll take whatever it takes,” Trump said, causing laughter to echo through the room. “I don’t have time to be depressed. You know, if you stay busy enough, maybe that works too. That’s what I do,” the 79-year-old continued.

At some point during the meeting, a Reuters photographer locked their lens on Wiles, who sat with her legs crossed and her left hand resting on her forehead as she looked down at documents in her lap. Instead of happy, she looked over Trump’s speech, but online viewers were distracted by something else in the frame after zooming in. “Good lord,” said one Facebook user.

An X troll snarked, “She looks like cruella,” seemingly likening Wiles’ gray hair to that of the Disney villain. Brutal zoom-ins on feet and ankles drew attention to the splotchy red condition on her skin. A second person commented, “Hm…Looks like what Trump has is spreading.”

Weeks earlier, Trump tried to conceal a rash that stretched from his hairline to just below his ear. White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella claimed it was caused by a “preventative skin treatment.”

In Wiles’ defense, an individual explained, “Her legs are due to side effects of breast cancer treatment before anyone gets any weirder out-of-pocket theory.” Her early-stage diagnosis was revealed in March. Still, her appearance was picked apart.

“She’s got the same cankles as Trump,” a heckler tweeted. Another asked, “Is there something about the White House that causes cankles?”

Another reaction reads, “Not here about her leg (several people here have recognized it from when they’ve had cancer treatments) but why does she dress so frumpy? And why is she the only woman Trump let’s get away with it? (No I don’t think he should dictate anyone’s looks but we all know he does).”

For at least one person, Wiles’ swelling and rash were not of interest. They wrote, “What’s wrong with her crossing her legs? Her trying to hide her reaction to Trump signing the ordinance is more accurate.”

The fixation on Trump’s cankles first aimed and compared to Cabinet members like Karoline Leavitt and Marco Rubio and now turning up around Wiles, has started to look less like isolated mockery and more like an uncomfortable visual pattern some believe is becoming part of the White House brand.

For those making the connection, the repeated scrutiny is no longer just about appearance, but about what they see as a recurring image problem that keeps following people in Trump’s orbit.

Wiles’ poker face failed her during a March press conference when Trump repeatedly ignored her attempts to stop him from confusing José “Pepe” Fanjul for his brother Alfonso “Alfy” Fanjul. Pepe was seated in the room as the president rambled on. Viewers said it was obvious that the flub left Wiles mortified.

Recent White House leaks also point to the chief of staff becoming increasingly weary of Trump’s leadership amid the U.S. conflict with Iran. Reports claim she has instructed staffers to stop providing Trump with war updates that fit his narrative instead of the truth.

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