New York [US], December 18: The American political scene was abuzz on December 16th after White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles's interview with Vanity Fair magazine was published. Wiles, known for her reserved nature and avoidance of the media, made surprisingly candid remarks about the Trump administration. She expressed concerns about immigration policy, tariffs, and more. In the interview, she described President Trump as having the "personality of an alcoholic" and Vice President JD Vance as a "conspiracy theorist." She also complained about Attorney General Pam Bondi and billionaire Elon Musk during his time working for the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) earlier this year.
Immediately, the White House and close advisors to Trump publicly supported Wiles. Trump himself, in a December 16 interview, agreed with the assessment that he had the personality of an "alcoholic" despite not drinking. "I often say that if I drink, I'm very likely to become an alcoholic. It's a very possessive trait," Trump said. Wiles emphasized that the Vanity Fair article was edited to be offensive, dishonest, and that much of what she said was taken out of context; however, she did not deny the published statements. Politico, on December 17, citing informed sources, revealed that many Republican members were disappointed by the interview. According to the report, the party believes this is a time for the White House to highlight its achievements over the past year, creating momentum for the midterm elections next year, rather than creating further rifts and skepticism.Signing the record-breaking decree.
Also related to developments at the White House , President Trump issued several important executive orders on December 16 (local time). The Washington Post reported on December 17 that Trump added 20 countries to the list of those completely or partially banned from entering the US, bringing the total to 39 restricted countries. Fourteen countries previously subject to a partial ban now face a complete ban.
According to AFP, President Trump is very active in signing executive orders in his first year in office. The U.S. Federal Register reports that as of December 15th, Trump had issued 221 executive orders. This number is more than the total for his first four-year term (2017-2021) and far exceeds recent presidents, who signed an average of 30-40 orders per year. Nearly 60% of Trump's orders so far this year focus on domestic issues, while less than 10% relate to foreign policy. The remainder are spread across various other areas.
Source: Thanh Nien