'Work this out': Trump reportedly urges Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon to get along
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Rumblings of infighting among some top advisers inside the Trump administration appear to be simmering down after earlier talk of a possible White House shakeup.
Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump was said to be fuming over recurring conflicts in the West Wing — including one alleged feud between Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner. The New York Times reported Friday night that Trump had ordered the warring factions to settle their differences.
"Work this out," Trump said, according to The Times, citing two people familiar with the matter. The exchange happened after days of speculation that a staff reshuffle may be on the horizon.
A White House official disputed the reports, saying White House chief of staff Reince Priebus held a meeting with Bannon and Kushner to "get them on the same page," according to CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta.
"All agreed to move forward," the official said via Acosta.
Even as Trump apparently sought to cool the infighting, he is said to have floated potential replacements for Priebus, who has reportedly been on thin ice since January, due to the administration's early missteps.
The apparent feud spilled out into the open this week after it was announced that Bannon was removed from Trump's National Security Council (NSC). The move was widely seen as an indication of Bannon's waning influence in the White House, though Bannon immediately disputed that notion.
The NSC shift, over which Bannon allegedly threatened to quit, coincided with Kushner being given more responsibility and the president's daughter Ivanka being hired in an official role in the West Wing.
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A history of upheavals, supporters divided
The Trump campaign endured similar turbulence throughout the 2016 presidential election. Trump's first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was fired in June during a tumultuous primary. Former campaign chairman Paul Manafort resigned amid media reports about his ties to Russia and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
And less than a month after Trump's inauguration, his just-appointed National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was booted for misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his dealings with a Russian ambassador.
Trump supporters on social media sounded off on the latest rumors of a White House reshuffle. The hashtags, #FireBannon and #FireKushner generated numerous tweets Friday from disparate corners of the Trump universe.
People tweeting #FireKushner, called the president's son-in-law a "globalist." One account tweeted at Trump: "You're dangerously close to losing half of your base. You won't win over your enemies, you can only lose friends #FireKushner."
A user called out Bannon for his ties to the controversial Breitbart media outlet: "Anyone associated with Breitbart being in the admin is shameful," the account tweeted.
Another Twitter account offered a more aggressive solution on Bannon and Kushner: "They're both unqualified hired by someone who's unqualified. Fire them all."