Newly ousted White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is facing accusations that she ran a corrupt operation inside the White House, bowing to industry lobbyists and putting political fundraising ahead of Americans’ health.
Calley Means, a close ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who resigned from the Trump administration last month, accused Wiles of putting industry interests ahead of public health. He alleged that she blocked a range of Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiatives and even opposed efforts to improve children’s diets in favor of sugar-industry money.
“Susie said to me many times: ‘We need money for the midterms, Calley. We need money for the midterms,’” Means told Joe Rogan on his podcast.
The healthcare entrepreneur quit weeks after he reportedly got into a shouting match with White House officials over the definition of processed food. He said he ultimately resigned over what he described as internal corruption.
“The simple reality [of] why I left is that there is a very concentrated group of people in the Trump administration that are antagonistic to what people voted for and are, frankly—I think it’s very clear—doing things for other reasons,” he said, adding, “Particularly in many cases to enrich their families.”
Calling Wiles, a former lobbyist and political consultant, “the most powerful chief of staff in modern American history,” Means claimed she had a “stranglehold on any policy decision.”
One of Means’ most serious accusations involved Wiles’ 42-year-old daughter, Katie. He alleged that companies that hired her as a lobbyist subsequently received “high priority” treatment from the administration.
“So if you’re a special interest and you want to get something done, the secret’s out,” Means said. “You pay Susie’s daughter, and it was openly discussed when they had a client.”
Shortly after Rogan’s interview with Means was published Friday, Trump announced that Wiles, 69, was leaving her post and that her deputy, Stephen Miller, would take over Monday, Nov. 9.
Means also alleged that Wiles’ team pushed to greenlight more fruit-flavored e-cigarettes, a major priority for tobacco companies that donated at least $20 million to the GOP in 2026, according to The New York Times.
He accused Wiles’ team of caving to intense lobbying from the kratom industry to ease proposed restrictions on products known as “gas station heroin.”
“Unrelenting lobbying happened and this Susie world... huge pushing, huge, huge pushing, meetings pushing from the West Wing... to relax the standards,” he said.
The White House did not directly address Means’ allegations when reached for comment.
“After years of being on the political sidelines, the MAHA coalition has found a champion in President Trump, who has made incredible strides to Make America Healthy Again,” White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster told the Daily Beast. “The Administration has already secured extensive victories for the MAHA Agenda, including overhauling the dietary guidelines for Americans, axing artificial ingredients in our food supply, and investing in regenerative farming. President Trump and Secretary Kennedy continue to work around the clock to deliver more wins for the American people.”
