The White House forcefully pushed back Saturday against a New York Times report claiming that chief of staff Susie Wiles had advised Vice President JD Vance to step away from social media, with officials branding the story “complete fake news.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung took to the social platform X to deny the allegation, responding to a post from Jewish Insider editor-in-chief Josh Kraushaar, who had shared the Times article. “This isn’t true,” Cheung wrote. “We denied it to the New York Times and they refused to run our quote. Complete fake news. This supposed ‘conversation’ never happened.”
The Times report, published Saturday, cited unnamed sources claiming that Wiles and other senior White House officials had urged Vance to “take a break from social media,” arguing that his frequent online confrontations with critics were “beneath his office.” The story was part of a broader piece examining Vance’s relationship with President Trump and his positioning as a potential contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.
Despite the denial, the Times did include a statement from Cheung defending the Trump-Vance dynamic. “Vice President Vance has done a remarkable job of helping implement the president’s America First agenda,” Cheung told the paper. “Any false media narratives from unknown and unnamed sources fabricating stories clearly do not have any knowledge of the truth.”
Trump adviser Alex Bruisewitz echoed Cheung’s dismissal, labeling the reporting as “Vance Derangement Syndrome.” In a post on X, Bruisewitz wrote: “Steven Cheung has stated clearly in the article and reiterated on X that this is completely fake news. JD Vance is an exceptionally effective communicator and invaluable member of President Trump’s Team. Vance Derangement Syndrome is real, folks.”
The clash comes as both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have emerged as early frontrunners for the GOP nomination in 2028. According to recent polling on a hypothetical Republican primary, the two administration officials are locked in a statistical dead heat, with discussions intensifying over who might lead the party in the post-Trump era. For more on that race, see our report on Vance and Rubio in statistical dead heat for 2028 GOP nomination.
The White House’s swift and public denial underscores the sensitivity of any suggestion of internal discord within the administration, particularly involving the vice president’s communications strategy. Vance, known for his combative style on social media, has been a key surrogate for Trump’s agenda, and officials are keen to project unity as the administration navigates a range of foreign and domestic challenges.
Meanwhile, the administration continues to deal with other pressing matters, including ongoing negotiations with Iran. Vance recently stated that the US and Iran are near a nuclear deal, but key enrichment sticking points remain, as detailed in this analysis. The White House’s focus on maintaining a coherent message across all fronts appears central to its pushback against the Times report.
