President Donald Trump reorganized his National Security Council on Wednesday, removing his chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, and downgrading the role of his Homeland Security Adviser, Tom Bossert, according to a person familiar with the decision and a regulatory filing.
The Washington Post reported an unnamed senior White House official said the change is not a demotion, and Bannon had accomplished what he had set out to do.
Trump's move reverses a controversial early decision to give Bannon access to the high-level meetings.
Citing an unnamed official, CNN reported Bannon had a limited responsibility to oversee then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's work to "deoperationalize" the NSC.
A new memorandum about the composition of the NSC was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. The memo no longer lists the chief strategist as a member of the Principals Committee, a group of high-ranking officials that convene to discuss pressing national security priorities.
The memo also restores the director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, and the Joint Chiefs chairman, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, to the Principals Committee.
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster was given responsibility for setting the agenda for meetings of the NSC or the Homeland Security Council, and was authorized to delegate that authority to Bossert, at his discretion, according to the filing.
Reports last month suggested Bannon's role might change after McMaster settled into his role.
Bannon, the former executive chairman of Breitbart News, was elevated to the NSC principals committee at the beginning of Trump’s presidency. The move drew criticism from some members of Congress and Washington's foreign policy establishment.
This report contains material from Bloomberg News and The Associated Press.
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