clowns
Bannon, a white nationalist and a political knife-fighter, is unlikely to defer to Priebus, notwithstanding who has the more important title. And Bannon has assets of his own. He will be able to exploit his ties to Breitbart and leaders in the far-right media, who proved themselves far more influential in the presidential campaign than anybody had imagined.
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 Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center expressed concern over the appointment as well, with the ADL saying Bannon and “his alt-right are so hostile to core American values.”
Trump’s announcement about the positions actually listed Bannon first ? a sign, perhaps, of just how sensitive Trump and his team will be to perceptions that he’s cozying up to the establishment.
But it’s not hard to imagine disagreements erupting over issues where Trump and the establishment would be at odds. Those could lead to intense fights between Bannon and Priebus, playing out just steps away from the Oval Office.
Trade would be one possibility. Few issues were as central to Trump’s campaign. He promised to rewrite existing agreements and expressed skepticism of new ones. That call was particularly popular with white, working-class voters from communities that lost manufacturing jobs ? and who turned out for Trump at the polls last week.
But the GOP establishment, like its corporate backers, has long favored expanding trade with few restrictions. On Sunday, for example, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) dodged questions about differences he might have with Trump over trade.
Another issue could be Medicare, a program popular with Trump voters and one that Trump once vowed to protect. Ryan has also indicated that he intends to pursue Medicare privatization, a longtime goal.
But the conflicts could go beyond specific policy issues. They could include broader questions about messaging and strategy ? and they could get personal.
Priebus is close with Ryan, and the two come from the same state. Meanwhile, Bannon’s Breitbart has made Ryan public enemy number one for the angry wing of the party ? with the speaker as a stand-in for the kind of weak, middling leadership the alt-right blamed for the failure to repeal Obamacare or win the White House in 2012.
It’s worth remembering that official titles within the White House are not always indicative of power. Dick Cheney’s title was vice president, but so is Joe Biden’s, and the two had dramatically different levels of power in their respective White Houses.
And Trump will be turning to other advisers, too ? most influential among them, perhaps, is son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump may trust him the most, because Kushner is family. But Kushner’s politics are something of a mystery and he has family and financial ties to Democrats in the New York-New Jersey area.
How this all translates to governing is anybody’s guess. Maybe even Trump’s. |
