Brief
White House counsel orders Politico to retract three Trump‑related stories
Counsel William Scharf sent a letter to Politico’s editor demanding corrections and an apology over three recent stories he calls false and defamatory.
By Felo News Desk · Published
The White House, through counsel William Scharf, has formally demanded that Politico retract and apologize for three articles published in its Playbook newsletter about President Donald Trump and chief of staff Susie Wiles, according to the Independent.
What happened
The letter, dated Monday, cites three stories released on October 15, 16 and 17. The first, titled “Trump’s ice maiden is under fire,” claimed Trump was considering replacing Wiles, a claim Trump dismissed as “fake news.” The second alleged that the first story caused a “freakout” in the West Wing and that Trump “blew up” over it. The third suggested Wiles arranged former press secretary Katie Zacharia’s interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News; Politico later issued a correction stating Wiles did not set up the interview.
What the reports add
The Independent notes that the White House spokesman called the second story “unbelievably stupid and false.” It also records that Politico’s correction explicitly amended the role attributed to Wiles. The letter warns that “freedom of the press is not a professional exemption from accountability” and threatens a review of the outlet’s White House access and possible legal remedies.
What was said
William Scharf wrote, “Your publication was told the truth and presented with corroborating evidence, and yet chose to publish fanciful fictions regardless,” and demanded a public apology to both Trump and Wiles. A White House spokesperson described the second article as “unbelievably stupid and false.” Politico’s correction read, “An earlier version of this report… mischaracterized the role White House chief of staff Susie Wiles played… POLITICO’s follow‑up reporting indicates she did not play a direct role in setting up the interview.”
How it came about
The dispute follows a September ban on Politico, CNN and MS NOW from White House grounds that a federal judge later ordered reinstated (Felo coverage). The three contested Playbook stories were published after the ban was lifted, intensifying the administration’s scrutiny of the outlet’s reporting on internal White House dynamics.
Key facts
- White House counsel William Scharf sent a letter demanding Politico retract three articles. (independent.co.uk)
- The first article, published October 15, claimed Trump was seeking to replace chief of staff Susie Wiles. (independent.co.uk)
- Politico issued a correction on the October 17 story, stating Wiles did not arrange Katie Zacharia’s Hannity interview. (independent.co.uk)
- The White House called the second article “unbelievably stupid and false.” (independent.co.uk)
- The letter warned of a review of Politico’s White House access and possible legal remedies. (independent.co.uk)
Timeline
- 2026-09-19 — President Trump bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House.
- 2026-09-24 — Judge Timothy Kelly orders restoration of White House access for the three outlets.
- 2026-10-15 — Politico Playbook publishes first contested article about Trump and Wiles.
- 2026-10-16 — Second Politico Playbook story alleges a “freakout” in the West Wing.
- 2026-10-17 — Third Politico Playbook story links Wiles to Katie Zacharia’s Hannity interview; later corrected.
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “White House demands Politico retracts articles and apologize to Trump: report”
