Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of National Intelligence Demoted in Favor of Bannon

It seems that with every passing day - if not hour - this nation is sliding further and further into insanity as the mentally deranged occupant of the White House demotes sane and qualified officials in favor of his henchmen and sycophants.   Indeed, Trump is acting more and more like Hitler who surrounded himself with yes men and propagandist while trashing the military leadership and rational politicians.  In the latest burst of batshit craziness, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the director of national intelligence, have been demoted and will only National Security Council meetings only "when discussions are related to their “responsibilities and expertise.”  Instead, Alt-right extremist Steve Bannon and former GOP chairman, Reince Priebus, will be full time members. The Guardian looks at this frightening development.  Here are highlights:

President Donald Trump granted controversial adviser Steve Bannon a regular seat at meetings of the National Security Council on Saturday, in a presidential memorandum that brought the former Breitbart publisher into some of the most sensitive meetings at the highest levels of government.

He also said his chief-of-staff Reince Priebus would have a seat in the meetings.

Trump also said the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the director of national intelligence, two of the most senior defense chiefs, will attend meetings only when discussions are related to their “responsibilities and expertise”. Barack Obama and George W Bush both gave the men in those roles regular seats on the council.

In an interview with the New York Times this week, Bannon called the press “the opposition party” and said it should “keep its mouth shut”.

Before he caught the ear of Trump while the businessman was a candidate, Bannon oversaw Breitbart news, a website that has featured racist and sexist articles. Like Trump, he entered government with no experience in public service.

Trump is both amoral and a threat to America's security and standing in the world. 

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