Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric Trump reportedly want Stephen Bannon fired to save the Trump hotel brand


The sniping between President Trump's chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, got so intense that Trump stepped in last weekend and told them to work it out. Since then, it appears that the Kushner faction — including Ivanka Trump, economic adviser Gary Cohn, and deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell — has gotten the upper hand, and the entire Washington political press is speculating about when Bannon will be pushed out of the White House. And it's not just Ivanka on Team Bannon-Be-Gone, The Washington Post reports:
Trump's three oldest children — Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric — and Kushner have been frustrated by the impression of chaos inside the White House and feel that their father has not always been served well by his senior staff, according to people with knowledge of their sentiments. The Trump heirs are interested in any changes that might help resuscitate the presidency and preserve the family's name at a time when they are trying to expand the Trump Organization's portfolio of hotels. [The Washington Post]
"The fundamental assessment is that if they want to win the White House in 2020, they're not going to do it the way they did in 2016, because the family brand would not sustain the collateral damage," one well-connected Republican operative told The Post. "It would be so protectionist, nationalist, and backward-looking that they'd only be able to build in Oklahoma City or the Ozarks."
The Bannon camp is warning, meanwhile, that there's no second term without Bannon and his brand of anti-establishment populism. "I think firing Bannon would be a huge mistake for Trump," Steve Deace, a conservative commentator in Iowa, tells The New York Times, adding a warning about the pugilistic nationalist-populist: "Hell hath no fury like a Bannon scorned." Vin Weber, a Republican former congressman, isn't convinced that "Bannon is a hero to grass-roots Trump voters," he tells The Times. "I talk to these people, and they're not going to turn on Trump because of some guy named Steve Bannon." At the same, he added, "the grass roots do listen to talk radio and the right-wing blogosphere. The question becomes, do they turn on Trump because of this?" Another question might be whether the grass roots stay in luxury hotels.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How to create a healthy 'germier' home
Under The Radar Exposure to a broad range of microbes can enhance our immune system, especially during childhood
-
George Floyd: Did Black Lives Matter fail?
Feature The momentum for change fades as the Black Lives Matter Plaza is scrubbed clean
-
National debt: Why Congress no longer cares
Feature Rising interest rates, tariffs and Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill could sent the national debt soaring
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect