Reports: Trump Sidelined Bannon From Decision To Fire Comey As FBI Head

White House chief strategist Steve Bannon listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with county sheriffs in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2017 file photo, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is seen in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. The White House on March 31, was set to release financial disclosure f... FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2017 file photo, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is seen in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. The White House on March 31, was set to release financial disclosure forms for more than 100 of it's top administration officials. Bannon, disclosed assets between $13 million and $56 million, including his influential political consultancy, Bannon Strategic Advisors Inc., worth as much as $25 million. Bannon also disclosed that he earned slightly less than $200,000 last year as executive director of Breitbart News Network LLC, before he resigned to join Trump’s campaign last August.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Chief White House strategist Steve Bannon was sidelined from President Donald Trump’s decision last week to fire James Comey as head of the FBI, according to several reports.

The Associated Press reported on Saturday, citing three unnamed White House officials, that — much like Comey himself — Bannon learned of the former FBI director’s firing from television reports, though a fourth unnamed source close to Bannon disputed that account.

The Washington Post also reported on Saturday that Bannon was intentionally excluded from Trump’s decisionmaking process, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

A third unnamed source told the Post that Bannon advised Trump to delay Comey’s termination to avoid backlash.

That account of events was supported by a New York Times report published on Wednesday in the immediate wake of Comey’s termination. In that report, the Times cited two unnamed sources familiar with Bannon’s thinking who said he urged Trump to delay Comey’s firing.

Trump nevertheless went ahead with the decision, and according to several reports is considering broad changes to his senior staff in the wake of backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Steve ought to be paying more attention to breitbart news.

    That would keep him up to date on Dump’s “mind”.

  2. Avatar for bkmn bkmn says:

    Bannon was involved with both executive orders on immigration that were struck down by the courts without difficulty. His track record since the inauguration is not a winning one, and winning matters to Blimpo.

  3. Poor little Nazi, excluded from all the fun of deconstructing the state. This gives me the sads.

  4. ”Bannon learned of the former FBI director’s firing from television reports.”

    Gauleiter Mercer is not amused.

  5. " two unnamed sources familiar with Bannon’s thinking"
    So did they let them out of the Home for the day?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

72 more replies

Participants

Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for brooklyndweller Avatar for matthew1961 Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for leftflank Avatar for theod Avatar for Lacuna-Synecdoche Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for mike_in_houston Avatar for progressiveoldman Avatar for theghostofeustacetilley Avatar for esteban Avatar for benthere Avatar for cincypix Avatar for pshah Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for professorpoopypants Avatar for fraufeix Avatar for birdford Avatar for katscherger Avatar for centralasiaexpat Avatar for lilyinindy Avatar for outsidertrading618

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: