Steve Bannon is not just a presidential adviser, he is a street-smart politico who is the protector of the populist movement that elected a president. But after overcoming an entrenched establishment that sought to block Donald Trump’s arrival in Washington, Bannon is facing his biggest battle with his boss’ ego.
“I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late,” President Trump said when New York Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin asked him if he still had confidence in Bannon. “I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve. I’m my own strategist and it wasn’t like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.”
How is it that the president – who sought Bannon out in August 2016 when his campaign was struggling to escape the dog days of summer – could be so cavalier about what Bannon brings to table? Why was Trump distancing himself from the gatekeeper of his campaign agenda?
If you want to take the fast lane to Trump’s wrong side you steal, share or take away his spotlight. While Bannon did not intentionally encroach on Trump’s “brand,” the mainstream media did it for him. Editorials talking of “President Bannon” and news articles suggesting Bannon was the policy puppet master appear to have gotten under Trump’s skin.
In response, Trump’s message is clear – he did not need Bannon to win and he does not need Bannon to govern. Since the botched repeal of Obamacare and growing coverage of a perceived feud between Bannon and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the media has swarmed Bannon like sharks in chummed water. Trump’s lackluster endorsement of Bannon only intensified the speculation.
Bannon’s role in a Trump White House, however, is indispensable and the president, despite his short-term memory loss, must remember why Bannon is an asset. When Bannon joined Trump’s campaign it was marred by feuding personalities and stuck in the dog days of summer.
Should Trump be Trump or should he be more conventional? That was the question being asked by a GOP brass that wanted to change Trump. When Bannon was invited to the campaign it was a game changer. Not only had Trump decided to be Trump, by hiring Bannon was a declaration of war against an establishment that had betrayed a nation.
Bannon cemented Trump’s position as an outsider and brought a new sense of purpose and momentum into the campaign. The results? President Trump.
But with 100 days fast approaching, the limited role Bannon will play in the White House appears to be moving from speculation to reality. This should be troublesome to every Trump supporter. While Trump may be irritated that Bannon his encroaching on his public image, Trump’s ego must take a backseat. If Trump were to let Bannon go – or drive him out – the result would be damning for his agenda.
As Trump has moved to distance himself from Bannon he – whether intentionally or not – has distanced himself from the policies Bannon protects. Syria is no longer quicksand to be avoided, China is not a currency manipulator, and NATO is no longer obsolete. If uttered a year ago, such policies would be deemed heresy.
Without Bannon, Trump is left with Ivanka and Jared – two individuals who have already moved Trump from non-intervention to tomahawk missiles – and economic adviser Gary Cohn. Cohn, like Ivanka and Jared, is a centrist, if not globalist. As for Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer, Priebus is too busy not making waves and Spicer is pre-occupied treating his foot-in-mouth disease.
While it is true Bannon is just one man, he is one man charged with making sure that Candidate Trump does not get lost in the long shadow of President Trump. Trump would be smart not to throw out the Bannon with the bath water, as it might be the biggest mistake of his fledgling presidency.
Joseph Murray (@realJoeMurray) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner‘s Beltway Confidential blog. Previously, he was a campaign official for Pat Buchanan. He is the author of “Odd Man Out” and is administrator of the LGBTrump Facebook page.
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