President Trump has reportedly told his senior aides that he will remove Steve Bannon, his chief strategist, from White House staff. The decision comes after several days of speculation that Bannon might be on his way out, rumors that went into overdrive after news broke that the president suspected his chief strategist might be responsible for leaking information about internal White House business.
Bannon also came under fire after he denounced several of his White House colleagues in a recent interview with a left-wing reporter. The chief strategist has reportedly been the source of much contention within the West Wing since the start of the presidency, stirring up near-constant disagreements with other advisers, including Trump’s daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had this to say of Bannon’s firing: “Kelly and Bannon mutually agreed today would be Steve’s last day.”
The dismissal of Bannon raises questions about the path forward for Trump’s agenda. Bannon has long been seen as the president’s primary connection to his base, supporters who were drawn to Trump’s populist rhetoric and hard-right-wing agenda. Without his influence, there seems to be room for Trump’s closest advisers to take his presidency in a new direction.