McMaster Says Bannon Still Advises Trump, Downplays Cut from Security Council
Wanda Carruthers
President Donald Trump will continue to seek advice from Stephen Bannon on issues, said National security adviser H.R. McMaster, apparently downplaying the White House chief strategist’s removal last week from the National Security Council (NSC), The Hill reported Sunday.
"Steve Bannon provides the president with advice on a broad range of issues and will continue to do so," McMaster, an Army lieutenant general, told Fox News Sunday. "This is not as significant as it appears, I think."
"I think what the president was doing was making clear that he is going — in terms of permanent membership on the National Security Council — (to) have those permanent members who are there for every meeting, every official meeting of the National Security Council, to be those who will give him their advice on the long-term interests of the American people," he said.
"He asks a broad range of people who he trusts, and Steve Bannon's one of them, about policy decisions and about the risks and opportunities involved with each of these. And, so none of that has changed," McMaster added.
Trump approved Bannon’s removal from the NSC last week after McMaster reportedly made the decision. The Hill stated Saturday Bannon could be forced out of his role in the administration if he didn’t start to exhibit a more cooperative approach.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/McMaster-Bannon-Trump-Security-Council/2017/04/09/id/783417/?ns_mail_uid=3262027&ns_mail_job=1724113_04102017&s=al&dkt_nbr=eqixfawx