President Trump’s controversial chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, was removed from the National Security Council on Wednesday, Fox News confirmed. Bannon was put on the NSC’s “Principals Committee” as a check on former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn to make sure Flynn carried through with a directive to depoliticize the NSC, a senior administration official told Fox News. "[Obama administration National Security Adviser] Susan Rice operationalized the NSC during the last administration," Bannon said in a statement. [National Security Adviser] General [H.R.] On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News' Martha MacCallum the move was not a demotion for Bannon.

Source: Fox News April 05, 2017 15:57 UTC