Susie Wiles Told the Cabinet to Quit Traveling Abroad
Politico revealed that during a private Cabinet meeting in February, Wiles told officials that overseas travel should be only done when “absolutely necessary."
Photo: Getty Images Politics
The days are getting longer, the weather’s getting hotter, and it seems like every other person is dusting off their passports to go chug Aperol Spritzes on a sunny patio on a European coast. So you might assume that—somewhere in their respective lairs—the worst members of the Trump administration are also preparing to abuse their positions to take some taxpayer-funded vacations—but it turns out they’ll have to get through White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles first.
On Wednesday, Politico revealed that during a private Cabinet meeting in February, Wiles told officials that overseas travel should be “kept to a minimum” and only done when “absolutely necessary,” according to three sources. Since the meeting, all Cabinet members have had to get their travel requests approved by Wiles. “The international ones are on a case-by-case basis,” one of the sources explained. “But they definitely want you to focus on domestic travel.”
Besides being another indicator that she kind of hates her colleagues, Wiles’ order was likely a strategic political decision to brace for a rough midterms season—and get an otherwise wayfaring Cabinet to stay at home. Because if there’s anything the administration loves to do more than ruin American lives, it’s globetrot on the taxpayers’ dime. Last summer, Vice President JD Vance gallivanted in the English Cotswolds; FBI Director Kash Patel golfed around Scotland; and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem—accompanied by her de facto boyfriend, Corey Lewandowski—cowgirled through Argentina. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also racked up some crazy air mileage, and spent 2025 traveling to Vietnam, Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, and England to “boost farm exports.” Meanwhile, at home, Rollins helped implement cruel changes to SNAP; threatened to withhold food stamps from the nearly 42 million people who use it; and suggested to Americans they survive on $3 meals.
Speaking to Politico about Wiles’ travel order, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said, “President Trump was elected with a resounding mandate to reverse disastrous Biden-era policies and usher in a new era of prosperity for our country.” (OK!) “President Trump and his Cabinet will continue fighting to lower costs for working families and will be traveling across the country to tout the president’s commonsense agenda.” Ah, yes. The golf-club tours that cost taxpayers $100 million are doing a lot for working families, I imagine.
Like what you just read? You’ve got great taste. Subscribe to Jezebel, and for $5 a month or $50 a year, you’ll get access to a bunch of subscriber benefits, including getting to read the next article (and all the ones after that) ad-free. Plus, you’ll be supporting independent journalism—which, can you even imagine not supporting independent journalism in times like these? Yikes.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.