Defense Secretary James Mattis had to intervene in dispute between national security adviser H.R. McMaster and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon last month during a policy meeting on Afghanistan, Politico reported Thursday.
The animosity between McMaster and Bannon is nothing new. The two men have been at loggerheads since McMaster was named President Trump’s national security adviser in April.
McMaster removed Bannon from the National Security Council’s principals committee shortly after he was appointed.
According to the Politico report, McMaster is said to believe that Bannon, former executive chair of the far-right Breitbart News, is behind negative leaks about the national security adviser.
What’s more, McMaster’s relationship with Trump is said to be tenuous, though the president plans on keeping him in his NSC role, at least for the time being.
Despite his reportedly uneasy relationships with Trump and Bannon, McMaster has gained an ally in John Kelly, the former Homeland Security secretary whom Trump named White House chief of staff last week.
Kelly has reportedly told McMaster that he wants him to stay on board as national security adviser and authorized him to make any staffing changes he wants.
……..
- Discussion
-
Mattis had to intervene in dispute between Bannon and McMaster during policy meeting: report https://t.co/YLX5FD5usX pic.twitter.com/hpf9tBGgi0
— The Hill (@thehill) August 4, 2017
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.