After tepid comments made by President Donald Trump, analysts speculate that White House chief strategist Steve Bannon appears to be fighting for his job and political reputation.
In an interview with a reporter from the New York Post, Trump did not definitively affirm his confidence in Bannon’ work during the recent presidential election.
“I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late,” Trump said. “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.”
At the end of the interview with the New York Post reporter, Trump said, “Steve is a good guy, but I told them to straighten it out or I will.”
This last comment is in reference to a public fight between Bannon and Jared Kushner, another White House strategist and son-in-law to Trump, whom Bannon called an offensive name that referred to white supremacy.
Seth Hastings, a freshman engineering major, thinks that most people have come to expect this type of erratic behavior from Trump and that they will be able to move on from the changes Trump makes.
“Trump’s administration is not as stable as Obama’s was,” Hastings said. “As far as turnover rates, the [administration’s] focus is on the drama of people coming into appointment.”
Trump’s comments were made a week after the White House released memorandum stating that Trump would reorganize the National Security Council and would remove Bannon from it.
According to American news website, Business Insider, a senior White House source informed journalists that Bannon was only on the N.S.C. as a check on former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. As Flynn has since been removed, it is speculated to Bannon is no longer needed.
Allan Aguilar, president of the Young Democrats on JBU’s campus and a senior political science major, believes that Trump is sending a message through these series of events.
“Trump is communicating that family comes first, that he is top dog, and that no one is pulling his strings,” Aguilar said.
Because of Trump’s strong voter-base and his appeal to the people, Aguilar thinks that Trump will not receive much backlash for his comments about Bannon.
“His base will continue to support Trump regardless and it might even appease some of the moderates who doubted Trump for giving Bannon such an influential role in the White House,” Aguilar said.
Dr. Daniel Bennett, Assistant Professor of Political Science, believes that Trump’s actions could be beneficial or hazardous to him.
“In terms of attempting to deepen his ties with mainstream, establishment Republicans, tossing Bannon out will make these folks happy,” Bennett said. “But it might hurt him with the crowd of people who tend to like what Bannon and Breitbart peddle and there’s evidence that these people are some of Trump’s most ardent supporters.”
Bennett thinks that Trump will use any method possible to “mix things up a bit” to get himself through the rough start to his presidency.
“Nobody has ever accused Trump of hesitating or dithering, and this decision is just another example of that.”