RTMon, 14 Nov 2016 18:29 UTC
© Mike Segar / ReutersU.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Chairman of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus (R) address supporters during his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S. on November 9, 2016.
US President-elect Donald Trump has named the Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus as his future White House chief of staff, and appointed his campaign CEO and chairman of Breitbart News Stephen Bannon as chief strategist.
"I am thrilled to have my very successful team continue with me in leading our country," Trump said in a statement. "Steve and Reince are highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory. Now I will have them both with me in the White House."
The chief of staff is the highest-ranking employee of the White House, who is appointed directly by the president without Senate confirmation and serves as the personal secretary and agenda-setter for the US leader.
The appointment of Priebus may indicate a step back from Trump's campaign promise to "drain the swamp" of the Washington establishment, as the RNC chairman has close ties to House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan. On the other hand, this may help him to push his agenda through the Senate.
Priebus' direct competitor for the chief-of-staff post was Bannon. The right-wing media mogul who oversaw Trump's presidential campaign, many argued, would have been a better choice for the position.
A fierce critic of the Republican establishment and a close ally of Trump, Stephen Bannon, instead was named a senior counselor by the president-elect.
The statement emphasized that the two men would work "as equal partners to transform the federal government."
Overall Trump will be seeking to appoint over 4,000 staff members to play a role in his future administration. On Thursday the president-elect met with President Barack Obama to discuss his smooth transition to assuming office at the White House.
Comment: The ever-hysterical Huffington Post
weighs in to fan the fears of 'white supremacists" in the White House. Let's remember that both Trump's daughter and son-in-law are Jewish.
David Axelrod, who served as senior advisor to President Barack Obama during his first term, said via Twitter Sunday that picking Priebus over Bannon as chief of staff could signal Trump taking a more "conventional" approach, but later said that having Bannon in the White House at all was "deeply troubling."
Bannon's name appeared above Priebus' in the release, suggesting his significance in the Trump administration could rival that of the chief of staff. A president's top strategist and senior counselor typically control access to the president and help set and carry out his agenda.
At Breitbart, Bannon helped make the hardline populist website a go-to resource for white nationalists and the alt-right, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups.
Breitbart served as a mouthpiece for the Trump campaign and an attack dog against conservatives like House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who were critical of Trump.
[...]
Breitbart has propagated conspiracy theories, like Planned Parenthood having Nazi ties or Clinton aide Huma Abedin being a spy for Saudi Arabia. The website traffics in misogynist and racist stories; it frames women who push back against harassment or gender bias as weak and incompetent and portrays people of color and immigrants as inherently criminal.
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) spokesman Adam Jentleson said Trump's choice of Bannon "signals that White Supremacists will be represented at the highest levels in Trump's White House. "
"It is easy to see why the KKK views Trump as their champion," he added.
The SPLC and the Anti-Defamation League expressed concern over the appointment as well, with the ADL saying Bannon and "his alt-right are so hostile to core American values."
For more understanding:
The cognitive dissonance cluster bombBut lefties aren't the only ones upset about Trump's selections so far. Trump advisor Roger Stone warned him against choosing Priebus because he is 'one of them'.
While it would be 'ideal' for Trump to include none of 'them' in his govt, the reality is you don't just walk in and take over. The system is very entrenched. He has to ingratiate himself with these creatures to some extent, and
then gather the forces he needs to make a difference...
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, and all that Art of War stuff.๏ปฟ
Comment: The ever-hysterical Huffington Post weighs in to fan the fears of 'white supremacists" in the White House. Let's remember that both Trump's daughter and son-in-law are Jewish. For more understanding: The cognitive dissonance cluster bomb
But lefties aren't the only ones upset about Trump's selections so far. Trump advisor Roger Stone warned him against choosing Priebus because he is 'one of them'.
While it would be 'ideal' for Trump to include none of 'them' in his govt, the reality is you don't just walk in and take over. The system is very entrenched. He has to ingratiate himself with these creatures to some extent, and then gather the forces he needs to make a difference...
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, and all that Art of War stuff.๏ปฟ