Steve Bannon Out As White House Chief Strategist

>>> THIS IS A NBC SPECIAL REPORT.
>> GOOD DAY. A MAJOR SHAKE-UP OCCURRED.
STEVE BANNON, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CONTROVERSIAL CHIEF STRATEGIST
AND MEMBER OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND BRIGHTBART NEWS IS NOW OUT
AT THE WHITE HOUSE. JUST THE LATEST HIGH PROFILE
DEPARTURE FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
NBC NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT KRISTEN WELKER IS
IN NEW JERSEY WHERE PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUES HIS WORKING
VACATION. NOT SUCH A BIG SURPRISE.
>> NOT A SURPRISE, HARRY. IT HAS LONG BEEN THOUGHT THAT
STEVE BANNON COULD BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK.
REMEMBER, HE HAS BEEN A LIGHTNING ROD SINCE THE FIRST
DAY THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCED HE WAS GOING TO SERVE
AS HIS CHIEF STRATEGIST. HE'S A FORMER TOP EXECUTIVE AT
BRIGHTBART NEWS, LINKED TO THE FAR RIGHT CONSERVATIVE BRANCH OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. A LOT OF ESTABLISHMENT
REPUBLICANS TOLD PRESIDENT TRUMP AT THE TIME THAT HE SHOULDN'T
APPOINT BANNON TO SUCH A HIGH PROFILE ROLE.
BUT HE'S REALLY SOMEONE WHO WAS A TOUCH TONE TO PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S BASE. ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT GOT
PRESIDENT TRUMP ELECTED. HOWEVER, THE CALLS FOR HIM TO GO
HAVE GROWN A LOT LOUDER IN THE WAKE OF CHARLOTTESVILLE.
THERE WAS A SENSE THAT THE MIXED MESSAGING THAT WE HEARD FROM
PRESIDENT TRUMP, THE FACT THAT HE COMPARED WHITE SUPREMACISTS
TO THE COUNTER PROTESTERS MAY HAVE HAD ECHOS OF STEVE BANNON'S
VERY PHILOSOPHY. NOW IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT IN
RECENT DAYS STEVE BANNON HAS GRANTED A NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS
IN WHICH HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR HE THINKS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO
STOMP OUT WHITE SUPREMACIST, KKK MEMBERS.
HE SAID ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE A BUNCH OF CLOWNS.
BUT NONETHELESS, THE DAMAGE WAS ALREADY DONE.
YOU HAD A NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS DENOUNCING PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT
SAYING IN ORDER TO STEM THE BLEEDING, HE NEEDS TO GET RID OF
STEVE BANNON. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD
POTENTIALLY ANGER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S BASE.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP REPAIR HIS RELATIONSHIP
WITH A NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY, GOP LAWMAKERS WHO
HAVE BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF THIS PRESIDENT IN RECENT DAYS AND, OF
COURSE IF, THERE'S A BIG BREECH WITH THE PRESIDENT AND HIS OWN
PARTY, THAT COULD STAND IN THE WAY OF HIS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
THINGS LIKE TAX REFORM AND FRAN STRUCTURE REFORM.
HARRY? >> CAN I SPECULATE A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THIS? YOU HAVE A RELATIVELY NEW CHIEF
OF STAFF WHO SAID THIS IS HOW THIS WHITE HOUSE IS SUPPOSED TO
WORK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FORMER
MARINE GENERAL JOHN KELLY THAT IN THIS WHITE HOUSE THERE WOULD
NOT BE ROOM FOR A STEVE BANNON. >> GENERAL JOHN KELLY MADE IT
VERY CLEAR FROM DAY ONE THAT HE IS SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO HAVE A
CHAIN OF COMMAND. HE WANTED EVERYONE TO
ESSENTIALLY BE REPORTING TO HIM. NOW STEVE BANNON INITIALLY SAID
THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO DO THAT. BUT STEVE BANNON IS ALSO SOMEONE
WHO IS VERY MUCH HAS HIS OWN PHILOSOPHY, HIS OWN IDEOLOGY,
HIS OWN SET OF POLICY GOALS AND THAT MAY HAVE RUN COUNTER TO
JOHN KELLY'S SENSE OF HOW THIS WHITE HOUSE SHOULD BE ORDERED.
AND HOW TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS.
HE WANTED THERE TO BE A MORE DISCIPLINE MESSAGE COMING OUT OF
THIS WHITE HOUSE AND IN RECENT DAYS, OF COURSE, WE'VE SEEN
STEVE BANNON REALLY BREAK WITH THAT IN SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS
THAT HE CONDUCTED. SO THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THIS
BEARS ALL OF THE HALLMARKS OF THIS NEW CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN
KELLY WHO IS NOW IN POSITION. ALSO IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT,
HARRY THIS IS ALL UNFOLDING AS PRESIDENT TRUMP RIGHT NOW IS
MEETING WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF HIS
NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM DISCUSSING THE WAY FORWARD ON
AFGHANISTAN AND A NOTABLE ABSENCE WAS STEVE BANNON.
USUALLY STEVE BANNON WOULD BE AT THE TABLE.
HE'S NOT AT THE TABLE RIGHT NOW. THAT WAS A CLEAR INDICATION
STARTING THIS DAY THAT HE COULD BE O

Steve Bannon Out As White House Chief Strategist | NBC News

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