Bannon's Removal is Good for Arab Americans
BY: Diego Reyes/Contributing Writer
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump removed controversial White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon from the National Security Council just months after he was elevated to the position.
Although Bannon will no longer be a regular attendee of the principals committee of the NSC, he will continue to retain his role as senior adviser for domestic affairs.
The removal of Bannon reflects the growing influence of national security adviser H.R. McMaster, an Army three-star general who took over the post after retired general Michael Flynn was ousted in February over misleading statements he made about the Trump campaign’s relationship with the Russian ambassador.
Once Flynn was out, there was no need for Bannon to remain in that position. After being removed from the position, Bannon told The Wall Street Journal that he was put there to ensure that the position was “de-operationalized” because it was highly “operationalized” during the Obama administration by Susan Rice.
This decision of appointing Bannon for the position was already controversial given his background and views. The idea of the National Security Council is to make sure that the president has the best possible advice from his Cabinet, the military, and the intelligence community before making any significant decisions, and it is a way to guarantee their effective implementation. However, Bannon’s national security experience consists of seven years in the Navy and head of the alt-right news organization Breitbart, which many argued was not enough for him to make educated suggestions. Breitbart is an openly white supremacist website that is known for its controversial headlines about women, the LGBTQ community, Arab Americans, Muslims, and other minorities.
This decision of his removal has caused celebration to many of Bannon’s enemies, inside and outside the White House. “He didn’t belong on the principals committee to begin with—doesn’t really belong in the White House at all,” said Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, “I hope that this is a sign that McMaster is taking control of the National Security Council,” he added.
Karl Rove, senior adviser to President George W. Bush, said it was a move to a better process and stated, “it was wrong for him to be added in the first place, and it was right to take him off.”
Many have voiced their opinion of this good decision, crediting McMaster with a victory claiming, “it’s either a sign of McMaster’s strength, or the result is it strengthens McMaster,” Rove added.Now with Bannon gone, the NSC structure will not be compromised by an unstable individual that could have further incited an anti-Arab and Islamophobic environment, which many agree has already been put in place as a result of Donald Trump’s election. With Bannon gone, many in the community can be hopeful of a future where the views of a known bigot are not influencing national policy.
Now with Bannon gone, the NSC structure will not be compromised by an unstable individual that could have further incited an anti-Arab and Islamophobic environment, which many agree has already been put in place as a result of Donald Trump’s election. With Bannon gone, many in the community can be hopeful of a future where the views of a known bigot are not influencing national policy.
