As Liberty Nation reported earlier today Steve Bannon has been removed from the National Security Council. Whether this is a result of internecine fighting or just a reshuffling of the deck is uncertain. Reports earlier today were that H. R. McMaster, who took over for Mike Flynn as National Security Advisor had issues with Bannon.
Late this afternoon, Reuters reported, “Trump’s overhaul of the NSC, confirmed by a White House official, also elevated General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Dan Coats, the director of National Intelligence who heads all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies. The official said the change moves the NSC “back to its core function of what it’s supposed to do.”
Trump’s original decision to place Bannon on the NSC caused an uproar as it was an unusual move to put a chief political strategist on the foreign policy and national security panel. Generally, those positions go to individuals with a good deal of foreign policy knowledge.
Today’s move comes just as the administration primes for its initial sit down with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The face to face meeting between Trump and Jinping is set for Mar-a-Lago tomorrow and Friday.
