Trump’s Ice Maiden Sparks Raging MAGA Civil War

Susie Wiles has found herself under scrutiny after the White House abruptly changed its positioning on a key Capitol Hill policy issue.

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In recent weeks, the White House suddenly began pushing congressional lawmakers to reverse course on a scheduled ban on hemp-derived products. MS NOW reports that Wiles, the president’s chief of staff whom he dubbed his “ice maiden,” has repeatedly been brought up as people look for answers as to why the administration suddenly switched its tune.

The White House has been adamant that Wiles is not behind the sudden shift, with spokesperson Kush Desai saying she has “never lobbied in favor of this or any other position on hemp with Capitol Hill.”

But the hemp controversy has emerged as one of the key hurdles in negotiations for a stopgap government funding bill.

Last year, President Donald Trump signed a bill that redefined hemp to strictly cap the total THC per container, which would essentially outlaw most available hemp-derived products, including the popular delta-8 THC. The ban is scheduled to take effect in November, but the Senate version of the continuing resolution included a last-minute 30-day delay.

Some Republicans on Capitol Hill have been left scratching their heads at the whole turnaround.

Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican from North Carolina, has been pushing for an amendment to allow the ban to take effect as scheduled. He told MS NOW he is dumbfounded by the White House’s new positioning.

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“I tried to track down the origins, but I think this is absolutely ridiculous,” Budd told the outlet. “We fixed this thing last year. We fixed it last November. They’ve had nine months to work on this, so why, all of a sudden, pop up for some seemingly innocent delay?”

Things boiled over in a meeting between some GOP senators and White House legislative director James Braid earlier this week.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton reportedly confronted Braid about the provision, as he called hemp products “gas station marijuana candy.” And Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri described the meeting as a “big blow up.”

Many Republicans acknowledged that the White House meddling appeared to be a bit murky, but said that senators should go along with it as the delay was only four weeks.

“I’m very much against hemp,” GOP Sen. John Boozman told MS NOW. “But I don’t have any problems with a three- or four-week delay.”

At the same time, MS NOW reported that lawmakers are well aware of Wiles’ relative’s role in the hemp industry. His company sent a letter to industry allies urging them to call senators to back a delay. The email reportedly said that the industry’s “survival” depends on the funding provision.