White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently advised Vice President JD Vance to step back from social media because his online fights with critics were beneath the office of the vice president, The New York Times reported.

The detail appeared in a broader Times story examining Vance’s standing with President Donald Trump and his prospects as a 2028 Republican presidential contender. The paper reported that other West Wing officials had given Vance similar advice, citing people familiar with the interactions. Vance has told associates he took a break from posting for Lent, the Times said.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung rejected the account on X within hours of publication, calling it “complete fake news” and saying the conversation “never happened.” Cheung said the White House had given the Times a denial that the paper declined to publish.

The Times stood by its reporting. Spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in a statement, “We’re confident in the accuracy of our reporting.”

A statement from Cheung was included in the article. “Vice President Vance has done an extraordinary job helping implement the president’s America First agenda,” he told the Times. “Any false media narratives from unknown and unnamed sources fabricating stories clearly do not have any knowledge of the truth.”

Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz also pushed back on X, calling Vance “an exceptionally effective communicator” and accusing critics of “Vance Derangement Syndrome.”

The Times story portrayed Trump as privately uncertain whether Vance has the qualities to lead the Republican Party after his presidency, even as the president continues to include the vice president in major decisions. The paper reported that Trump, at a November breakfast with Republican senators, asked Vance why he was not more deferential, comparing him unfavorably with the officials who work for Chinese President Xi Jinping. “JD doesn’t behave like that! JD butts into conversations!” Trump said, according to the report.

The story also recounted an incident at a White House reception this spring in which Vance dropped the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy. The Times reported that Trump has returned to the moment in private conversations weighing Vance’s 2028 viability.

Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are widely seen as early favorites for the 2028 Republican nomination, and recent polling of a hypothetical primary has shown the two running close. At a Rose Garden Club dinner in May, Trump asked guests which of the two they preferred as commander in chief and concluded after the response that a Vance-Rubio ticket “sounds good,” according to the Times.

Vance, 41, has continued to use his X account heavily, regularly responding to critics across the political spectrum.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)