Politico Fires Back at White House Threats, Corrects Susie Wiles Story

Politico clarified a story about White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Wednesday, while simultaneously rebuffing threats of legal action from the Trump administration. The correction occurred after White House counsel Will Scharf sent Politico a letter on Monday requesting the removal and correction of multiple articles about Wiles, along with a public apology to President Donald Trump and Wiles.

Scharf provided Politico with a 48-hour window to comply or face potential consequences, such as a review of their relationship with the White House and possible legal action. In a response shared on Thursday by CNN’s Brian Stelter, Politico’s attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. denied the administration’s claims that the outlet intentionally published false information, acknowledging that some additional reporting warranted a correction to one of the three articles.

Boutrous emphasized that Politico categorically rejected the allegations that they published "fanciful fiction" and "purposeful falsehoods designed to mislead the public." The corrected October 16 story originally claimed that Wiles had arranged for then-White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia to appear on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program before her dismissal.

Politico later clarified that Wiles had provided "positive reinforcement" for the interview but did not directly participate in booking it. The other two disputed articles included an October 15 Politico Playbook report asserting that Trump was considering replacing Wiles, and an October 16 follow-up detailing turmoil within the White House after that report.

The administration refuted both claims. Boutrous stated that Politico thoroughly re-examined all three articles and conducted additional reporting, ultimately determining that only the Zacharia Fox News appearance story required a correction. Politico remained tight-lipped about the incident, with the White House declining to provide a response to a request for comment.

This dispute comes amid an ongoing legal battle over the Trump administration's attempts to limit White House access for Politico, CNN, and MSNBC. Judge Timothy Kelly issued a preliminary injunction last week blocking the administration from revoking the outlets' White House press credentials, as the court found they were likely to succeed on their First Amendment and due process claims. The administration promptly appealed the ruling the following day.