White House chief of staff Susie Wiles hit back at two new Vanity Fair articles that highlight President Donald Trump's Cabinet and inner circle and featured interviews with her.

Washington

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was the focus of two new Vanity Fair articles that described her as the most powerful person in Trump's White House. The articles included candid comments from Wiles about President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other figures, as well as her reactions to policy decisions and internal dynamics.

In response, Wiles issued a public statement criticizing the articles as misleading and lacking context. Other Trump administration officials have also defended Wiles and challenged the articles' portrayal, while it remains unclear if Vanity Fair will release the full interview transcript or audio.

Susie Wiles hits back at new Vanity Fair articles

The most powerful person in Trump's White House. That's what the Vanity Vanity Fair, I should say, is calling White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles this morning in a brand new piece spotlighting President Trump's most inner circle. Some of the comments coming out of that two part article include these from the first female chief of staff. In it, she says President Trump has a quote alcoholics personality. She also seems to take a jab. Advise President J.D. Vance ship from a quote never Trump or to a MAGA acolyte, calling it sort of political. For more on this explosive new piece, let's bring in CBS News senior White House correspondent we just saying. We just want more. Are we learning from these two articles? So this was a very candid interview by the chief of staff Susie Wiles, and it's notable because she typically does not do interviews. She really likes to stay in the background. She does not like to be the center of attention. In fact, even when President Trump won on election night, she was a bit hesitant to join him on stage, so it is certainly a big deal that she gave such an extensive interview to Vanity Fair. And what you already mentioned is one of the top lines. What she said about the Vice President JD Vance, calling him a conspiracy theorist for about a decade, and pointing out that, you know he was a never Trumper and became MAGA because of his. Own political ambitions, according to Wiles, but there are so much more about this, including how she framed her reaction to Elon Musk and Doge dismantling USAID, which of course was a tremendous aid program for the international community. She said she was initially aghast by it and she couldn't believe it was happening because this agency historically had done such good and important work. She also said Elon Musk was a very odd, duck and she to your other point about calling the president someone with an alcoholics personality that needs to be clarified because she went on to say that she is familiar with alcoholics and she just meant that he has a very big personality having been around other alcoholics who seem to be invincible that he thinks he can do anything. That's what she meant about President Trump, but throughout this entire pieces, I should say two pieces. It's really an insight into some of the things that we had no idea about, you know how she thought about things. And she also said when it came to arguing with the president over policy, if it was, you know, 50 50 split that the president always wins. So of course she is one of his, if not the most trusted advisor inside the White House here. She's been with him for several years. So we don't know how he will react to this, but certainly she and others in the administration are already pushing back Mugo. Yeah, and just what you mentioned there, they're pushing back. How is she responding to the articles, this two pieces? So she did fire off a tweet this morning, basically criticizing Vanity Fair, saying that the context was not there. I think we have that message if you could pull it up for our viewers. She says here, the article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest president, White House staff and cabinet in history. And so she obviously is saying that there are missing components here. We don't know if Vanity Fair will be releasing the full transcript and or audio tapes, which would certainly be helpful to clarify this interview. But it's not only Susie Wiles, Caroline Levitt, the press secretary, Taylor Budowich, the former communications deputy chief of staff and others have all showed public support around Susie Wiles and also criticizing the article and defending Wiles's job that she has done so far as chief of staff here at the White House. Okay, we are staying at the White House for us today. Thank you.

U.S. President Donald Trump has followed through on his threat to sue the BBC over a misleading video edit of a speech he made on January 6, 2021, and filed a lawsuit against the media corporation on December 15. He will be seeking 10 billion dollars in damages.

London

Trump sues BBC over misleading video editing of speech

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a proposal to end his country's nearly four-year war with Russia are "very workable" and could be finalized within days, but he warns key issues remain.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy says 'workable' peace plan could be presented to Russia soon

On December 16, the Paris labour court ruled on the long-running dispute between Kylian Mbappé and his former club, PSG. It ordered PSG to pay over 60 million euros to the player in unpaid wages and bonuses.

Paris

Mbappé to be awarded over 60 million euros by PSG, French court rules

Police say the alleged gunmen who opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney's Bondi Beach had traveled to Mindanao in the Philippines last month, as investigators probe ties to extremist networks.

Bondi Beach

Islamic State link eyed after Bondi Beach gunmen's Philippine visit

Zelenskyy hails progress with the US during Berlin talks about security guarantees. Europeans vow to protect Ukraine, including via military means, against Russia in the future. But disagreements over territories remain.

Berlin

EU vows to assist Ukraine against future Russia attack at Berlin talks

Australia's prime minister said a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach appears to have been motivated by ISIS ideology. Meanwhile, mourners flocked to the site to lay flowers and grieve for the people killed, including a 10-year-old child.

Council of the City of Sydney

Bondi Beach shooting motivated by ISIS ideology: Australian PM

Four people have been arrested in California - charged with plotting a series of bombing attacks on multiple targets on New Year's Eve.

California

FBI arrests four over alleged New Year’s Eve bomb plot in California

Police in Rhode Island are searching for a new person of interest following Saturday’s deadly shooting at Brown University. Investigators say the case remains active as authorities work to determine a motive.

Providence

New person of interest sought in Brown University shooting

The son of filmmaker Rob Reiner was arrested on homicide charges after the director of beloved movies like "When Harry Met Sally ..." and his wife were found dead in their Los Angeles home, a police official said on Monday.

Los Angeles

Rob Reiner's son arrested after director and wife found dead

A jury found Brian Walshe guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife Ana on New Year's Day in 2023 in their Massachusetts home. Legal analyst Jennifer Roman joins with more details.

Boston

Brian Walshe found guilty of first-degree murder in wife's death

Hong Kong's High Court on Monday (December 15) found pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material under a China-imposed national security law that could see him jailed for life.

Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong court finds Jimmy Lai guilty in landmark security trial

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. negotiators are meeting in Berlin. As the U.S. grows increasingly pressed to end the four-year war, the peace negotiations continue, with territorial concessions to Russia remaining the "sticking point" for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy offers to drop NATO bid for security guarantees

Police have released a person of interest who was detained in a shooting at Brown University. Two students were killed and at least nine others were injured in the Saturday attack. Tom Hanson spoke with students about the shooting.

Police release person of interest in shooting at Brown University

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed abandoning NATO ambitions in exchange for Western security guarantees during peace talks in Berlin. The move marks a major shift as Kyiv seeks to end the war with Russia without ceding territory.

Ukraine offers to drop NATO bid at Berlin peace talks

Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead Sunday in their Los Angeles home, sources told CBS News, in what police called an apparent homicide. Rob Reiner was 78 and Michele Reiner was 68.

Brentwood

Director Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in their L.A. home

Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast wins Chile's presidential run-off, after defeating his leftist opponent.

Santiago

Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast wins Chile’s presidential election

The person of interest authorities took into custody in connection with the shooting at Brown University has been identified as Benjamin Erickson. He's a 24 year old, originally from Wisconsin.

Person of interest identified in Brown University shooting

Two alleged gunmen who killed 15 people at a Jewish celebration in Sydney's Bondi Beach were a father and son, police said on Monday, as Australia mourned victims of its worst gun violence in almost 30 years. This video contains graphic images.

Father and son behind Bondi mass shooting, Australian police say

Israel has described a deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach as an attack on Jews, after gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event, killing at least 11 people.

Israel calls Bondi shooting attack on Jews, urges action on antisemitism

Two gunmen attacked a Hannukah celebration on a Sydney beach Sunday, killing at least 11 people in what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitism and terrorism.

Gunmen kill several at Jewish gathering in Sydney's Bondi Beach

Providence police have detained a "person of interest" in connection with the Brown University shooting that left two students dead and another nine people wounded, as the Ivy League school said it had lifted a shelter-in-place order for its campus in Rhode Island.

Police hold person of interest after Brown University shooting

Belarus has freed more than 120 political prisoners in a major thaw in relations with the United States. The releases came in return for Washington lifting sanctions on potash, a key source of revenue for Belarus.

Minsk

Belarus releases 123 prisoners as U.S. lifts sanctions

Washington was still under a state of emergency on Saturday after torrential rains swamped communities. Plus, snow and dangerous cold are falling on some in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Nicole Valdes has more from Washington state.

Deming

Washington under state emergency as rains ease

China's plans for a massive new embassy in the British capital were delayed until January. Construction plans have proven controversial, with some raising espionage concerns. Ramy Inocencio has more from London.

Controversial Chinese embassy construction in London delayed

A United Airlines jetliner lost one of its engines during liftoff from Washington's Dulles Airport bound for Tokyo.

Tokyo

United Airlines flight loses engine during liftoff, sparks brush fire

Thailand says there is no ceasefire with Cambodia, and its military will continue fighting until it faces no further threat. That's despite the US president's earlier announcement that both sides had agreed to stop their attacks. Villages along the border are largely empty, except for a handful of volunteer security guards.

Phnom Penh

Fighting continues along Thai-Cambodia border

U.S President Donald Trump has threatened potential land strikes on Venezuela to target an illegal narcotics trade. Trump says the drugs are arriving on U.S shores and that President Nicolas Maduro is behind it. Maduro has denied the claim.

Caracas

Washington considers Venezuela land assault

King Charles III, who shared his cancer diagnosis with the world in February 2024, announced Friday that he would be scaling back his treatment after his doctors have seen success. The monarch also pushed for people to get early screenings, saying, "Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives."

King Charles to reduce cancer treatments

Belarus has freed more than 100 political prisoners, including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, in exchange for sanction relief on Belarusian potash, a U.S. statement said on Saturday.

Belarus releases political prisoners as U.S. lifts some sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he visited troops fending off Russian advances near the embattled city of Kupiansk that Moscow claimed to have captured last month, which Kyiv denies.

Breakdown