Trump administration officials and allies have renewed their offensive against Politico this week, following the outlet's correction of a story concerning White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The correction, issued Wednesday, acknowledged that the original piece inaccurately described Wiles' involvement in arranging the now-ousted press secretary Katie Zacharia's interview with Sean Hannity.
Fox News and the White House had both disputed the initial characterization, prompting a senior White House official to clarify that Wiles merely "offered positive reinforcement" for the booking. Politico's update noted that the original story "mischaracterized Wiles' role in connection with this interview."
The correction has done little to quell criticism from Trump's inner circle. Scott Kupor, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, took to social media to question the outlet's choice of words. "Let me get this straight – @politico published a false story saying the exact opposite of what this now-released story says and their explanatory note says they 'mischaracterized' the events?" Kupor wrote. "I don't think that word 'mischaracterized' means what you think it means!"
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who left the role in August, was even more scathing. In a social media post, she labeled Politico "the worst outlet in Washington," accusing it of peddling "false gossip and malicious lies from clueless anonymous sources to demean the Trump administration." Leavitt added, "Much of my time as Press Secretary was spent disproving and killing fake stories they were adamant about writing. They may have issued a correction on this one, but the damage has already been done. 100% Fake News."
Leavitt's departure from the press secretary role was followed by the administration's decision to bar Politico, CNN, and MSNBC from White House events, a move that was later reversed after a federal judge ruled against it. The latest flare-up comes as the administration continues to face scrutiny over its media relations and broader policy decisions.
Conservative podcaster Katie Miller, wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, pointed to Politico's Berlin-based parent company, Axel Springer SE, as evidence of what she called "anti-American fake news pushed by foreign influences." Her comments echo a recurring theme among Trump allies who question the outlet's ownership structure.
GOP strategists Alex Bruesewitz and Daniella Alvarez also weighed in. Alvarez, who served as a senior adviser on Trump's 2024 campaign, said Politico "should be embarrassed." She wrote on X: "Politico's reckless disregard for the truth is a disgrace to journalism. At this point, the question isn't whether Politico got the facts wrong — it's why its editors continue to publish claims they know are false."
The repeated attacks on Politico reflect a broader strategy by the Trump administration to delegitimize mainstream media outlets. The administration's political rallies and public statements often frame the press as an adversary, and this episode is likely to reinforce that narrative.
For Politico, the correction is a reminder of the challenges of covering a hyper-partisan administration where every error is magnified. The outlet has not commented further beyond its correction note, but the fallout underscores the tense relationship between the White House and the press corps.
