Upheaval remakes Trump’s inner circle

With the news of Stephen Bannon’s exit on Friday, much of President Trump’s original inner circle at the White House has been disbanded.

The president has purged his original national security adviser, spokesman, chief of staff and now chief strategist less than seven months into his administration.

Meanwhile, John Kelly, Trump’s new chief of staff, is seen as wielding greater influence over a White House that in its infancy has been gripped by chaos.

Here are the exits that have rocked the West Wing since Trump’s inauguration.

Michael Flynn 

Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and former head of the Pentagon’s intelligence agency, signed on as White House national security adviser after standing by Trump through the long slog of the presidential race.

Flynn was often at Trump’s side on the trail, even getting a speaking role at the Republican National Convention. 

{mosads}But Flynn’s tenure at the White House was short-lived. On Feb.9, The Washington Post reported that Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia during a conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office, despite public denials by Vice President Pence.

Four days later, Flynn resigned, admitting to “inadvertently” briefing Pence and others with “incomplete information” regarding his phone calls with Kislyak.  

Flynn has become a focus of the Justice Department investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election, which includes exploring whether there was coordination between associates of the Trump campaign and Moscow. 

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster replaced Flynn as national security adviser. 

Sean Spicer 

While Spicer did not have an official role in the Trump campaign, he had a significant responsibility in elevating the GOP nominee as spokesman for the Republican National Committee. 

Trump announced in late December that he would give Spicer the role of White House press secretary. 

From the start, Spicer’s career in the White House was tumultuous. He often sparred with reporters during press briefings as he sought to defend the president and became the butt of jokes thanks to a parody by comedian Melissa McCarthy on “Saturday Night Live.” 

By June, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his deputy, was commanding the press podium as Spicer faded into the background.

Spicer abruptly resigned on July 21 after objecting to the appointment of Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci as communications director. He officially left the White House this month.

Reince Priebus 

Spicer’s resignation precipitated two weeks of shakeups at the White House. Reince Priebus, the three-term RNC chairman who stood with Trump throughout the campaign, was forced out one week later. 

Priebus, who Trump announced would become chief of staff shortly after he clinched the presidency, was widely seen as being on thin ice after Republicans failed to deliver on a plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, one of Trump’s major campaign pledges.

Scaramucci went on an expletive-laden tirade against the chief of staff in an interview with The New Yorker, promising to rid the White House of “leakers.” 

A day later, on July 28, Priebus resigned. He turned over his position to John Kelly, the retired Marine general who had for just six months served as Trump’s secretary of Homeland Security.

Less than a week later, Scaramucci was out too, which was viewed as a sign of Kelly gaining influence in the White House.

Stephen Bannon

Bannon, the controversial figure atop the far-right Breibart News, made waves when he signed on as Trump’s campaign CEO last August.

The selection of Bannon, whose publication often attacks establishment figures in the Republican Party, was viewed as a repudiation of calls from party elites to tone down Trump’s controversial rhetoric.

Bannon entered the White House as chief strategist, having notched a major win for Trump. He was seen as a significant influence behind some of Trump’s controversial policy decisions, including the travel ban that temporarily bars individuals from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States.

But whispers of his clashes with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, as well as other influential Trump loyalists had long stirred talk that he might not survive long in the White House. 

Scrutiny on Bannon intensified in recent days as Trump faced broad criticism for his response to the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend. 

News of Bannon’s resignation broke early Friday afternoon. The White House couched it as a mutual decision between Bannon and Kelly, the new chief of staff.

“White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve’s last day. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best,” Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, said.

Bannon’s exit could turn over a new leaf for the White House as Kelly accrues power. 

Still, some doubt that his ouster, while significant, will have much affect on the way the White House operates given Trump’s distinct, off-the-cuff style and apparent penchant for drama.

“Pivotal moment,” a GOP source joked of Bannon’s ouster. “It’s still Trump.”