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Steve Bannon Out As President Trump's Chief Strategist

WASHINGTON (CBS) -- Steve Bannon is out as White House chief strategist, CBS News reports.

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that Friday was Bannon's last day.

"White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "We are grateful for his service and wish him the best."

The New York Times first reported that President Donald Trump had decided to push Bannon out.

The former Breitbart executive joined Trump's campaign last August and helped him win the election.

steve bannon
Steve Bannon, Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to President Donald Trump. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Here's what Trump had to say at a press conference when asked about his confidence in Bannon earlier this week:

"Well, we'll see… Look, look, I like Mr. Bannon," Mr. Trump said. "He is a friend of mine. Mr. Bannon came on very late. You know that. I went through 17 senators, governors and I won all the primaries. Mr. Bannon came on very much later than that. And I like him. He is a good man. He is not a racist. I can tell you that. He is a good person. He actually gets a very unfair press in that regard. We'll see what happens with Mr. Bannon. He is a good person and I think the press treats him frankly very unfairly."

Bannon is just the latest top official to leave the White House. In the last month, former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former press secretary Sean Spicer and former communications director Anthony Scaramucci have all been ousted.

 

 

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