Susie Wiles, chief of staff to President Donald Trump, stated in a Vanity Fair interview that Trump's name is included in the Epstein files, which she claims to have reviewed. Wiles emphasized that Trump did not engage in any 'awful' behavior related to Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender. She described their past relationship as one between 'young, single playboys.'

The Trump administration had previously resisted the release of documents related to Epstein's investigation until Congress passed legislation in November mandating the disclosure of relevant files. Wiles noted that Trump was listed on Epstein's flight manifest, indicating their past association.

Trump's relationship with Epstein reportedly ended around 2004, although Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre has stated she met Epstein while working at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in 2000. Wiles also refuted claims that Trump sent a controversial birthday card to Epstein, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal. Trump has since denied the authenticity of the card and is pursuing legal action against the publication.

Wiles acknowledged that while she supports Trump, she disagreed with his unsubstantiated claims regarding former President Bill Clinton's alleged visits to Epstein's private island, stating that there is no evidence to support those assertions. The Justice Department is expected to release additional documents related to the Epstein case by December 19, following the signing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act by Trump.

Wiles later criticized the Vanity Fair article as a misrepresentation of her comments and the administration's achievements, suggesting that it aimed to portray a negative narrative about Trump and his team.