Narativ with Zev Shalev

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WILES TELLS ALL: TRUMP'S CHIEF OF STAFF ADMITS RETRIBUTION, REGIME CHANGE, AND "ALCOHOLIC'S PERSONALITY"

The Narativ | The Forward Lean

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Zev Shalev
Dec 16, 2025
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🚨STORIES TO WATCH

1. WILES SAYS THE QUIET PART LOUD

Susie Wiles gave 10+ interviews to Vanity Fair over months, saying Trump “has an alcoholic’s personality,” calling Vance “a conspiracy theorist for a decade,” labeling OMB Director Vought “a right-wing absolute zealot,” and admitting the Letitia James prosecution is “the one retribution.” She told the magazine Trump wants to “keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle”—that’s regime change by bombing—and acknowledged a “loose agreement” that score-settling would end after 90 days but it didn’t. On Epstein, she criticized AG Bondi for “completely whiffing” and claimed Trump’s “not in the file doing anything awful,” but Friday’s document release will test that. After publication, Wiles called it a “disingenuously framed hit piece,” which only confirms she said exactly what she meant and regrets it being public.

2. TRUMP SURRENDERS EUROPE

Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine is preparing a plan that downgrades Central Command, European Command, and Africa Command under a new “U.S. International Command” while merging Southern Command and Northern Command into “U.S. Americas Command,” reducing combatant commands from 11 to 8. Senior defense officials admitted “decay” in command and control but their fix subordinates commanders who understand local dynamics, speak languages, and maintain relationships to higher headquarters lacking that expertise. Congress required a detailed blueprint before releasing funding, but the damage starts now because European and Middle Eastern allies are reading the Washington Post before getting official notification that America is stepping back.

3. REINER MURDER: HOTEL ROOM FULL OF BLOOD, 17 REHABS, FINAL ARGUMENT

Nick Reiner checked into Pierside Hotel Santa Monica early Sunday morning after arguing with his father Rob at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party Saturday night. Hotel staff found the shower “full of blood,” bedsheets covering windows, and blood on the bed. Nick never checked out—he was arrested near USC around 9:15 p.m. Sunday and booked for murdering his parents who were stabbed to death in their Brentwood home. Daughter Romy discovered the bodies. Nick had been to rehab 17 times by age 22 for heroin and opioid addiction, spent time homeless in multiple states, and co-wrote semi-autobiographical film “Being Charlie” with his father about their struggles. Michele had been confiding in friends about Nick’s declining mental health in recent months, and neighbors said Rob and Michele were “scared” of their son. Investigators are determining whether the attack was planned or spontaneous, and prosecutors receive the case Tuesday for charging consideration.

4. BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT 8.3%: FREEFALL FROM BIDEN LEVELS

Black unemployment hit 8.3 percent in November—up from 6.2 percent in January—the highest level in years and complete freefall from Biden-era lows. Overall unemployment reached 4.6 percent as the economy added only 64,000 jobs after losing 105,000 in October. The jobs report was delayed by government shutdown, and October unemployment data is missing entirely because the government couldn’t collect the survey—first time since 1948. Black women’s employment has been hit particularly hard with 300,000 reported job losses in recent months, concentrated in professional services, manufacturing, and federal government. Manufacturing continues shrinking under tariffs while transportation and warehousing shed jobs. Fed Chair Powell warned official statistics may be overstating job creation by 60,000 jobs monthly, and the unemployment rate has risen every month this year as Trump’s immigration enforcement reduces labor market entrants.

5. EPSTEIN FILES DEADLINE FRIDAY

The Justice Department faces Friday’s deadline to release full Epstein files, and Wiles’ credibility depends on whether her claim that Trump is “not in the file doing anything awful” holds up. She criticized AG Bondi for giving people “binders full of nothingness” while falsely claiming a client list was on her desk, but admitted she “hadn’t really paid attention to whether all these rich, important men went to that nasty island and did unforgivable things to young girls.” Trump initially objected to the release before signing the legislation, which suggests concern about contents. Even if there is no evidence of wrong-doing by Trump, he was Epstein’s best friend, and failed to stop it.


THE PATTERN

The people running things are telling us exactly what’s happening: Wiles admits retribution is policy, the Pentagon reveals Trump is retreating from Europe, a hotel room full of blood connects Saturday’s argument to Sunday’s murders, Black unemployment craters while government loses capacity to measure economic collapse, and an Epstein deadline arrives with a question: what did the president know, and when did he know it.


📖 READ OUR EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION

Narativ has been on the Epstein beat for six years.

The only news organization to successfully tie Epstein to intelligence operations. The first to identify the blackmail and influence operation at its core. The first to expose the financial crimes and market manipulation that drove the network. The first to connect Epstein and Trump to a multi-decade Russian operation to destabilize American capitalism.

OUR LATEST: THE GREATEST HEIST BOOK 2 | The Epstein Network

THE GREATEST HEIST BOOK 2 | Chapter 5 The Lair

ZEV SHALEV

DEC 10

THE GREATEST HEIST BOOK 2 | Chapter 5 The Lair

Read full story


📺 TODAY’S SHOWS

3 PM ET: THE FIVESTACK WITH DEAN BLUNDELL & ZEV SHALEV

7 PM ET: TRUMP TYRANNY TRACKER WITH OLGA LAUTMAN

FRIDAY: EPSTEIN FILES: Justice Department releases comprehensive documentation in 72 hours.

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