Steve Bannon - Donald Trump's 'gamble'

(Baonghean) - After becoming President-elect of the United States, billionaire Donald Trump began arranging his staff and future cabinet list by appointing Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff and Steve Bannon as Senior Advisor and Strategy Advisor. While the appointment of Priebus was only slightly surprising, the Bannon appointment was different: many people objected, even outraged, and demanded that Donald Trump withdraw the nomination.

A risky gamble

Steve Bannon, 62 years old, is known for his far-right views, white supremacy, and dislike of the rise of feminism. Having taken over Breitbart News in 2012 after the death of its founder, Andrew Breitbart, Bannon himself acknowledges that Breitbart has fundamentally right-wing views. Furthermore, Steve Bannon is considered to have very little political experience.

Having served in the U.S. Navy and later attended Harvard Business School, Bannon is better known for his high-profile acquisitions and mergers at Goldman Sachs. Therefore, when Steve Bannon was appointed as Donald Trump's campaign manager in mid-August, many believed Trump was taking a "high-stakes gamble."

Steve Bannon (right) stands alongside Donald Trump during the election campaign. Photo: Sputnik.

However, to this day, no one can deny Steve Bannon's role in President-elect Donald Trump's historic victory. While his predecessor, Paul Manafort, forced Trump to adhere to traditional campaign rules, Bannon allowed Trump to act freely according to his usual "instincts." Subsequent analyses of Trump's victory have shown the significant contribution of the media.

Accordingly, at the time when the press was pressuring Trump about his shocking statements – which Bannon likely "gave the green light" to – they didn't realize that it had elevated the Republican candidate to a higher level. Donald Trump's victory in the battleground state of Wisconsin is the best example of Steve Bannon's "strategic genius."

During the campaign, Bannon observed that Hillary Clinton's approach to Hispanic, African American, and white adult voters around 2000 wasn't as strong as Obama's in 2012. He believed that if Trump could exploit this weakness to target white working-class voters, he could win in Wisconsin—a state with a tradition of voting for Democratic candidates dating back to 1980.

And he was right, as the results showed that Trump won by a narrow margin of 47.9% to Clinton's 46.9%. Donald Trump had already won his "risky gamble" once, so what reason would he have to refuse a second chance by choosing Bannon as his Senior Advisor and strategist?

Number 2 has real power.

The press release announcing the appointments to these two powerful positions in the White House stated that Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon would have "equal roles." However, analysts generally agree that Steven Bannon is the true number two figure in the White House, wielding significant influence over Donald Trump.

On November 6, 2008, the day after his election, President Barack Obama announced only one position: Rahm Emanuel would assume the role of White House Chief of Staff. The entire White House staff would report to Emanuel, including political advisors such as David Axelrod.

Even in the White House under former President George Bush, with a White House Chief of Staff considered incompetent like Andy Card, the most powerful advisor, Karl Rove, still reported to him. Donald Trump's breaking of precedent by appointing two equal positions in the White House is an indication that, under the Trump era, Bannon will be the head of these "equal positions."

Compared to Reince Priebus (right), Steve Bannon is the second-highest ranking figure in the White House. Photo: Breibart.

Just like in Donald Trump's "first gamble," Steve Bannon is causing a stir among American politicians this time as well. A day after announcing his selection, Democratic senators called on the president-elect to reverse the decision.

Democratic senators and left-wing political groups in the US argue that Steve Bannon's racist and sexist tendencies could undermine the goal of American unity that Trump declared in his first victory speech. Even Republican lawmakers have expressed considerable concern about Donald Trump's appointment: "Far-right and racist ideology is at the doorstep of the Oval Office. America now needs to be cautious and vigilant in any decision," said John Weaver, a Republican and advisor to the governor of Ohio.

While Donald Trump has begun assembling his staff and compiling a list of his future cabinet, protests continue in many cities across New York. But now, the wave of protests has spread to his own cabinet. People are waiting to see how Steve Bannon – as the "number two figure in the White House" – will help Trump navigate this turbulent period.

Thuy Ngoc