In the first two weeks of Trump’s presidency, many have speculated that Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart chief, is the one calling the shots in the White House. The numerous executive orders signed by Trump fit neatly into Bannon’s white nationalist agenda; their poor execution signal that a government novice is pulling the strings; and Bannon’s unconventional (and possibly illegal) appointment to the National Security Council suggests that he, more than anyone, holds Trump’s ear.
Last night, The New York Times published a piece that said as much. According to the Times, upon entering the White House, Bannon “rushed into the vacuum, telling allies that he and [adivsr Stephen] Miller have a brief window in which to push through their vision of Mr. Trump’s economic nationalism.” But with protests erupting around the country, and headlines shouting that Bannon is the power behind the throne, it seems like Trump is starting to get annoyed with his racist Wormtongue. While Bannon remains Trump’s “dominant adviser,” Trump is angry that he treated him like a human fountain pen, sneaking his way into the National Security Council through an executive order that Trump apparently didn’t read. And Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, who seems to have been muscled out by Bannon, has regained some control, instituting a “10-point checklist” before any new initiatives are rolled out.
It’s clear that the President Bannon memes are getting to Trump. He might not like to do boring boss things, but he definitely wants to look like the boss. This morning he tweeted:
Trump wants all the world to know that he is the biggest boy in the White House.