According to Axios, which has been pretty accurate in the past, Priebus and the GOP establishment are winning the White House battle over control of Trump’s soul, such as it is.
Steve Bannon, the engine and soul of President Trump’s hard-edged approach to his first months in office, is increasingly isolated and will be forced out unless he can adopt a more cooperative approach, a top source told me.
On both style and substance, Bannon got crosswise with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who are pushing for a more competence- and results-driven focus for the West Wing.
In their view, Bannon is too inclined to want to burn things down and blow things up. They want a more open process driven by the interests of the president, not ideology.
This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Trump has shown himself to be a wheeler and dealer much more than he’s shown any affinity for any ideology at all.
But what does that mean? Will he turn to centrist, moderate Dems to help him rack up some checkmarks in the win column?
- The changing culture: Here are the two crucial words to understand the outgoing style and incoming style: We’re told that rather than “nationalist” vs. “globalist,” think of “combat” vs. “collaboration.”
- How the Bannon bubble burst: The last straw for his internal critics: news stories portraying Bannon as the keeper of the Trump flame, in opposition to Jared, Ivanka and economic adviser Gary Cohn — all New Yorkers.
All signs point to YES.
And that’s why the alt-Right is freaking out and trying to get Jared Kushner fired…