In what is being called a major "reshuffling" of White House staff, Donald trump's controversial chief strategist Stephen Bannon has been relieved of his duties as a member of the National Security Council, per the NY Times and the Washington Post. The call was made by President Trump himself, though officials are stressing that the reallocation of roles was in no way a demotion for Bannon. The move was instead one of "logical evolution," sources say. White House insiders claim Bannon very rarely attended the Council meetings anyway, often working on projects more in line with his expertise.
The administration's structure needed revamping
The NY Times reports the Trump administration's original structure placed Stephen Bannon at a table where officials like the secretary of state and the defense secretary have historically been. The structure also made the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff only partial Council participants in crisis situations. Bannon, with a background rooted deeply in media, wasn't cut out for the position to begin with, sources say. Critics went a step further in claiming Bannon's very presence in meetings on national security policy-making jeopardized the integrity of the Council and ran the risk of politicizing an arena that shouldn't be politicized.
Trump's attempt to reorganize includes allocating primary responsibility of the National Security Council to parties more equipped to handle it: the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the intelligence director, the energy secretary, the UN ambassador, and the C.I.A. director.
Bannon's removal was in no way a demotion, sources claim
A White House official indicated to the NY Times that as proof Bannon had not lost any ground in the White House, administration made sure the 63-year-old retained the highest level of security clearance in the West Wing.
Reports state that very few political advisers have served a meaningful role on the committee meant to handle national security affairs.
George W. Bush had his senior adviser Karl Rove stay away from all of the sensitive national security meetings, the NY Times reports. Barack Obama allegedly allowed his senior adviser to sit in on a select few of them, but the former president's right hand man participated in none.
As Trump continues to restructure his administration following the departure of Michael Flynn, he'll look to advisers like Bannon to help him make the right calls.