Trump reportedly calls Steve Bannon on his personal phone when John Kelly isn't around
President Donald Trump is still calling his recently-fired chief strategist, Steve Bannon, from his personal phone, The Washington Post reported on Thursday night.
According to people with familiar with Trump's calls who were cited by The Post, the president would call Bannon when his chief of staff John Kelly was not around.
Kelly, who was sworn in after a late-July shakeup at the White House, began to dismantle the free-wheeling vibe of the West Wing following a spate of resignations and firings.
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In a presidential administration stymied by damaging leaks, Kelly has sought to restore order in the West Wing, in part by limiting Trump's interactions with other non-essential personnel and maintain a tight circle around the president.
Upon his arrival, Kelly went straight to work, making personnel changes with military-like precision — first by dismissing communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who was embroiled in scandal following his controversial interview with New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza.
Bannon, no stranger to controversy for his far-right, nationalist views, was rumored to be on the outs weeks before his dismissal was announced. Kelly and Bannon "mutually agreed" to part ways two weeks ago, according to a White House statement.
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