The Bannon effect and a brief history of the National Security Council

Angry Planet

Matthew Gault

War, Politics, Conflict, Government, History, News

4.3 • 882 Ratings

🗓️ 22 February 2017

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s first month in office has ushered in a whirlwind of change. One bit of procedural change raised eyebrows among the national security crowd. At the end of January, Trump reshuffled the National Security Council by elevating chief strategist Stephen Bannon and demoting both the Director of National Intelligence and Joint Chiefs of Staff. Critics crowed over the elevation of Bannon, a civilian, since the move could allow domestic politics to influence national security and puts a political adviser at the same level as other Cabinet officials. David Axelrod – President Barack Obama’s chief strategist – said that he’d sat in the room but never participated as a full member of the NSC. To better understand the significance of this move, we sat down with retired Army Col. and historian Andrew Bacevich to give us the history of the National Security Council and the consequences of its recent changes.

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0:00.0	Love this podcast.
0:02.0	Support this show through the A-Cast supporter feature.
0:05.0	It's up to you how much you give and there's no regular commitment.
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0:13.8	The views expressed on this podcast are those of the participants, not of Reuters News.
0:21.8	By providing a unpressitedly large role for Bannon, who was really a political
0:28.7	operative, he would seem to be also trying to ensure that he's going to get the recommendations that he likes. President Donald Trump ruffled feathers when he appointed chief strategist and
0:48.9	far-right media mogul Stephen Bannon, the National Security Council, tackling the implications of that move,
0:56.0	and a brief history of how the Council came to be on this week's War College. You're listening to Reuters War College, a discussion of the world in conflict, focusing
1:12.1	on the stories behind the front lines. Hello, welcome to War College. I'm your host Matthew Gault. With us today is
1:28.2	American historian, Professor Emeritus at Boston University, and former US Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich.
1:35.0	Mr Bacevich is here today to talk to us about the National Security Council.
1:39.0	So at the end of January, President Donald Trump shuffled the NSC, elevating strategist Steve Bannon,
1:44.0	effectively demoting the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Intelligence.
1:49.0	Observers criticized the move, but what exactly is the National Security Council and why is it important?
1:55.4	Are the changes as disastrous as some claim or just par for the course in a White House that promised
1:59.8	dramatic change?
2:01.8	Mr. Bessovich is here to answer some of those questions and help us cut through the noise.
2:05.0	Andrew, thank you so much for joining us.
2:08.0	I'm glad to be with you.
2:09.0	So, what exactly is the National Security Council?
2:12.0	Can you give us some background on it?
	...

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