Steve Bannon removed from NSC

President Donald Trump has removed his senior strategist Steve Bannon from the US National Security Council (NSC). The appointment in January raised fears that the circle of US intelligence chiefs was being politicised.

A White House aide said Mr Bannon was only given a seat on the NSC to keep an eye on National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired in February.

Steve Bannon

On 6 February 2017, Bannon, formerly the driving force behind the right-wing Breitbart News website, emerged as one of the key players in Donald Trump's White House. Bannon served as chief strategist, a role that gives him a direct line to President Trump. His influence was seen in some key decisions made by the president.

His appointment was at odds with the Republican mainstream, which had been the subject of repeated attacks by Breitbart, and which is represented in the White House by Mr Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Analysis

Was Bannon just there to "de-operationalise" the council after the Obama years or to keep an eye on former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn? In January, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer strongly asserted that Bannon's presence on the council was nothing out of the ordinary.

Washington foreign policy insiders seem to be relieved as they considered Bannon as a reckless and inexperienced provocateur.

Assessment

Bannon almost certainly still have the president's ear on political matters. Although Bannon’s national security influence may have been curtailed, but he will still continue to cast a long shadow in the administration.