In a whirlwind post-election display, Donald Trump is wasting no time piecing together his administration, if reports are correct. A lengthy list of possible cabinet-fillers has surfaced, including Ben Carson. And of course, Kellyanne Conway has received a job offer of some sort. In the above clip, CNN’s Jake Tapper passed on a report from Dana Bash, who reveals that Steve Bannon is on the short list for White House Chief of Staff.
Bannon is a familiar name to many politicos, as he took a leave of absence from running conservative news outlet Breitbart to manage the Trump campaign. He was later replaced by Conway, although the campaign insisted that Bannon wasn’t ousted, and he was simply moving behind the scenes as CEO. Bannon would be an unconventional choice for Chief of Staff, but nothing is normal about this election. The New York Times does more speculating and reveals how Bannon has competition in RNC Chair Reince Priebus and another former Trump campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski:
Mr. Priebus is said to be viewed favorably by two people especially close to Mr. Trump: his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Mr. Priebus is personally close to both Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, the vice president-elect, and he could serve as a helpful bridge to crucial elements of the Republican Party.
Corey Lewandowski, Mr. Trump’s first campaign manager, has also been mentioned for chief of staff, despite having been fired by the campaign in June. But Mr. Trump’s children, who feuded publicly with him during the campaign, may resist. Two other names being discussed: Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, and David Bossie, a veteran conservative operative who became Mr. Trump’s deputy campaign manager.
Well, it’s not surprising that Conway would be under consideration, especially since she let fly that she did receive a job offer. She’s likely the biggest reason that Trump’s campaign succeeded despite mainstream media perceptions, and this would perhaps be a fitting reward. Lewandowski’s a major hothead, so it’s surprising to see that he’s in the mix, especially since he’s enjoying his current gig — arguing every night on CNN — so much.
(Via CNN & New York Times)