OXON HILL, Md. — Top White House officials Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon urged conservatives on Thursday to ignore reporting about the alleged tensions between them.
“In regards to us, I think the biggest misconception is everything that you’re reading,” Priebus, who serves as President Trump’s chief of staff, told the crowd gathered for the 44th annual Conservative Political Action Committee Conference. “We are basically together from 6:30 in the morning to 11 o’clock every night.”
During Trump’s first month in office, the media has portrayed his top two aides as being locked in a West Wing power struggle. Sources close the administration continue to tell reporters that Priebus has lost control to Bannon, who is constantly encouraging Trump to ramp up his criticism of the press.
Both men rejected such claims, and told the audience on Thursday that their contrasting backgrounds have served the administration well in its infancy and that they’ve developed a close working and personal relationship.
“If the party and the conservative movement are together, nothing can be stopped. Steve and I know that and we live it every day,” Priebus said. He said Trump’s chief strategist is “incredibly loyal” and “extremely consistent” in pushing the president to stick to his agenda.
“We’re different, but we’re very similar in that he’s very dogged in making sure every day that the promises President Trump made, that he is working on them every day,” Priebus said.
Bannon admitted he can “run a little hot on occasion” and Priebus has helped keep him and others focused in those moments. “His job is one of the toughest jobs I’ve ever seen in my life [and] Reince is indefatigable in saying, ‘we’ve got to drive this forward.'”
But Bannon also acknowledged that he and Priebus have their disagreements, particularly when it comes to the Trump administration’s relationship with the media, which Priebus expects to improve.
“It’s only going to get worse before it gets better,” Bannon said, dismissing Priebus’ optimism. “They’re corporatist, globalist media that are adamantly opposed to an economic nationalist agenda like Donald Trump has.”
