Free Republic

White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has been removed from his seat on the National Security Council, reversing one of the most controversial decisions of young Trump administration.

"...veterans of past administrations and members of Congress from both parties criticized the decision to put Mr. Bannon on the principals committee, saying that it risked injecting politics into national security. President George W. Bush’s senior adviser, Karl Rove, was generally kept out of sensitive national security meetings. Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, attended some national security meetings but was not given formal status." "As for Bannon, who may be cut from the NSC, Trump's decision will be carefully watched as such a move would be potentially perceived as a relaxation of Bannon's influence over Trump, a topic which...

President Trump reportedly is revamping his National Security Council to include his senior advisor, Stephen Bannon. The Washington Post said Saturday that Bannon will have a seat on the Council’s principals committee. It’s other members are the most senior national security officials, including the secretaries of state and defense. Bannon is former chairman of the conservative Web site Breitbart.

President Trump’s decision to shake up his National Security Council by removing a prominent military leader in favor of political adviser Steve Bannon is worrisome and a “radical departure,” Sen. John McCain said Sunday. Trump signed executive action Saturday adding Bannon, who headed the alt-right Breitbart web site before joining the campaign, to his core security council while removing the Director of National Intelligence and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs. “The appointment of Mr. Bannon is something which is a radical departure from any National Security Council in history,” McCain (R-Ariz.) told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “The role...