President Donald Trump still needs White House strategist Steve Bannon – even if the president can think for himself – The New York Post's Michael Goodwin wrote in an Easter Sunday op-ed.
"Because he is operating with so little margin of error, Trump should give Bannon another chance," Goodwin concluded after Trump's icy review of Bannon's level of influence in the White House.
"In that sense, governing and campaigning are alike: both are games of addition. You must broaden your appeal while holding on to what you have. That's the art of being a successful president."
Goodwin's narrative depicted Trump's first 100 days as "unnecessarily bumpy," with "missteps and false starts," pinning "the lion’s share of blame for the problems" on a "too aggressive" and "bare-knuckles" Bannon.
"The prospect of Bannon's departure from the White House immediately set off frenzied reactions on two fronts," Goodwin wrote. "Anger and five-alarm fire bells broke out in much of Trump Nation, while celebrations took place on Wall Street and in Congress.
"The polarized response captures the outsized way Bannon is seen by both friend and foe.
"Loved and hated passionately, he is in some ways more Trump than Trump. That's his appeal and his Achilles Heel."
But, President Trump needs Bannon's perspective in his inner circle as his allies are getting thin amid a dug-in left and a staunch group of conservatives in Congress opposing his agenda at most every turn, Goodwin added.
"Unless Bannon did something unforgivable, it's too risky and too soon to cut him loose," Goodwin wrote. "While Trump must be comfortable with the people around him, he also needs a mix of ideas to make sure he’s getting the best options. Bannon has proven he has something to offer."
Goodwin's call to support Bannon comes after President Trump failed to do the same earlier in the week – "although the military dropped the mother of all bombs in Afghanistan last week, the mother of all bombshells the president dropped is vastly more important to his presidency," Goodwin wrote – in the ballyhooed square-offs between Bannon and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who Bannon allegedly called "a Democrat."
"I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late," President Trump said in his ominous remarks. "I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve.
"I'm my own strategist and it wasn't like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.
"Steve is a good guy, but I told them to straighten it out or I will."
Bannon is carrying the flag and "flame" for the "deplorables," Goodwin wrote, "but just as Trump is unique as the ultimate outsider, Bannon is not just another interchangeable part. He is a singular figure and without him it’s hard to see who earns the trust and keeps the flame of the 'deplorables.'"
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.