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.”