White House Gives Politico 48 Hours to Retract Its Susie Wiles Reporting; Politico Corrects One Story and Rejects the Rest

The White House is demanding that Politico retract its recent reporting on chief of staff Susie Wiles, and Politico has answered with one small correction and a flat refusal on the rest. Fox News Digital obtained both letters.

The demand. In a letter to Politico's global editor-in-chief, Jonathan Greenberger, sent Monday, White House counsel William Scharf named three articles he called "demonstrably false and defamatory." They include reports that President Trump was considering replacing Wiles and that he had a "freakout" when Politico published its story. Scharf wrote that the outlet had been told the truth, on the record and with documents, and published anyway. He asked for retractions, corrections, a public apology to Trump and Wiles, and removal of the pieces from Politico's archives. He gave the outlet 48 hours. After that, he wrote, the White House would review its relationship with Politico and consider "all other appropriate and available legal remedies." Axios reported the letter first.

Politico's answer. In a reply Wednesday, Politico's attorney said the outlet "categorically rejects" the accusations that it published "fanciful fiction" and "purposeful falsehoods." The letter says Politico re-examined all three articles, did follow-up reporting and found it appropriate to correct one of them.

What changed. The correction concerns the press secretary's Fox News appearance. Politico now says Wiles offered "positive reinforcement" for then-press secretary Katie Zacharia's "Hannity" interview last week, before Zacharia stepped down, but did not play a direct role in booking it. Politico did not apologize. Fox reports that it also did not correct the claim that Trump was weighing a move away from Wiles.

The press fight behind it. Fox notes Politico was among the outlets the White House barred last month, a decision a judge later reversed. Politico's lawyer argued that no error in its reporting would excuse what the letter calls "unconstitutional retaliation," and said the outlet will defend its journalism.

What is not known. Fox says the White House did not immediately respond when asked for comment on Politico's reply. We have not seen the three Politico articles themselves, and the quotes above are as Fox reports them from the letters.