Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) on Wednesday welcomed the removal of White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon from his role on the National Security Council (NSC).
“Steve Bannon’s removal from National Security Council is welcome news,” Ros-Lehtinen tweeted. “I called for him to write himself out in Jan.”
Ros-Lehtinen, whose district President Trump lost by 20 points, shared an article from January in which she is quoted saying, “Although presidents structure the NSC as they see fit, Bannon should write himself out of this role on the council.”
A senior official confirmed Wednesday that Trump has removed Bannon from his role on the NSC.
{mosads}Bannon in January was elevated to a position on the NSC principals committee, while the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and director of national intelligence had their roles downgraded in the move.
The Joint Chiefs chairman and intelligence director are having their roles as “regular attendees” on the principals committee restored, according to a regulatory filing dated Tuesday.
In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Bannon argued that Trump’s second national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, had “returned the NSC to its proper function” while taking a shot at President Obama’s former foreign adviser.
“Susan Rice operationalized the NSC during the last administration. I was put on to ensure that it was de-operationalized. General McMaster has returned the NSC to its proper function,” he said.