President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump walk from a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at the U.S. Capitol November 10, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo : Getty Images/Mark Wilson)
President-elect Donald J. Trump on Nov. 13, Sunday picked Reince Priebus as his would-be White House chief of staff. By choosing Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman and a trustworthy campaign adviser, Trump has overlooked the claim of Stephen K. Bannon, a champion of right-wing media.
In another significant move, Trump chose Bannon his senior counselor and principal West Wing strategist, hinting that he was ready to adopt the fringe ideology by Bannon for long. It also signaled that he would continue with his disregard for the Republican establishment.
A statement issued by Trump's transition team stated, "Bannon and Priebus will continue the effective leadership team they formed during the campaign, working as equal partners to transform the federal government, making it much more efficient, effective and productive." The announcement came in the wake of prevalent reports that Priebus and Bannon were in contention to be chief of staff
With Priebus as his White House chief of staff, Trump will be depending on a Washington insider who's camaraderie with the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, may well help him to secure early legislative successes, the New York Times reported. The dual announcements by the president-elect have given rise to rival power centers when Trump takes office in the White House on Jan. 20, 2017.
U.S. Rep. Peter King described the dual appointments by the president-elect as "basically two sides of the same coin." "It's showing what Donald Trump's style is going to be," New York Post quoted King as saying.
According to King, Bannon's appointment as strategist clearly demonstrates that the president-elect is committed to conservative principles. On the other hand, by choosing Priebus as the chief of staff, Trump is showing he has a person who is not only conservative, but also has the insider experience that may help to get things done.
However, the selection of Priebus may anger the grass-roots activists who see him as a deal maker. They feel that Priebus may be very eager to push the new president to compromise on issues such as taxes, healthcare, immigration, trade and the environment. In fact, GOP political consultant and a Trump insider, Roger Stone has already warned in a tweet prior to the announcements that selecting Priebus as chief of staff "would cause a rebellion in Trump's base."
Watch president-elect Donald Trump's projected cabinet members:
