Trump Dumps Bannon From NSC, Adds Rick Perry

Updated at 2:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump has added Energy Secretary Rick Perry -- the former Texas governor -- to the National Security Council after removing Steve Bannon from his place on it.

Bannon had been given the authority to participate in National Security Council Principals Committee meetings after Trump signed an executive memorandum in January. At the time, some experts called the move an unprecedented political appointment to the panel.

Bannon, a former Breitbart News executive, had no objections to his removal, a source familiar with the decision told ABC News. He will remain a White House official.

"He was there to babysit [now-former national security adviser Michael] Flynn, to watch him as he deoperationalized the NSC from [Obama-era national security adviser Susan] Rice," the source told ABC News. "Mission done."

Flynn was forced to resign from his position in February after he admitted to misleading Trump administration officials on the nature of multiple phone calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump's inauguration.


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