politics

A breakdown of the key players in Donald Trump's inner circle.

It’s been less than three weeks since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America, but already the cracks of chaos are beginning to show, with the 70-year-old’s inner circle quickly becoming as well known as their reality star boss.

We take a look at those making headlines, holding things together, influencing Trump’s decisions, and doing more harm than good for the administration.

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Donald Trump. Source: Getty.

Steve Bannon

Having been made part of Trump's election team in 2016, 63-year-old Steve Bannon is considered by many to be the most problematic and dangerous member of Trump's inner circle, having been described as both a racist and a fascist by fellow Republicans.

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He is believed to be the instigator of Trump's ban on Muslims, the rejection of 1200 refugees currently housed on Nauru and Manus Islands, and is said to have ordered the White House's web pages on climate science, healthcare and LGBTQI issues be deleted.

Within days of the inauguration, the man who admitted to wanting to "bring everything crashing down and destroy all of today's establishment" had been named Trump's chief strategist and appointed to the National Security Council. Days later, however, Trump admitted that he didn't actually realise he had appointed Bannon to the council.

donald trump's inner circle
Steve Bannon in Washington. Source: Getty.
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Prior to working with Trump, Bannon worked as a naval office and investment banker before serving as chairman for right-wing website Breitbart, which has been described as "a haven for people who think Fox News is too polite and restrained."

When Breitbart's political editor Matthew Boyle was asked about his boss, he conceded, "If there's an explosion or a fire somewhere, Steve’s probably nearby with some matches."

Kellyanne Conway

Better known to the public than Bannon, Kellyanne Conway has been with Trump since 2016 and has wasted no time in creating controversy around the administration through her role as counsellor to the President.

During her first week on the job, the 50-year-old made headlines when she suggested blatant misinformation was simply "alternative facts."

In her second week, reports of Conway physically assaulting a White House guest during an inauguration celebration surfaced.

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Alternative facts advocate Kellyanne Conway. Source: Getty.
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And in her third week, Conway referred to the little known "Bowling Green massacre" to justify Trump's ban on Muslims. The massacre, however, never actually occurred. When criticised for fictionalising a massacre, Conway responded by saying she simply "misspoke." It has since been revealed, however, that Conway has referred to the massacre on the record at least three times.

Conway was also one of Trump's most ardent supporters against the numerous sexual assault allegations dogging him throughout the campaign, reasoning that the leaked audio of Donald Trump bragging about grabbing women "by the p*ssy" could hardly be considered an endorsement of sexual assault seeing as her boss never called it that.

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"That's a very unfortunate phrase and people really should stop using it," Conway told CNN. "He did not say the word sexual assault."

Mamamia Out Loud discuss if it's okay to mock Melania Trump. Post continues. 

Sean Spicer

Having worked for the Republican party for years prior to Trump's win, Sean Spicer is one of the more politically experienced members of Trump's inner circle. Which is, frankly, terrifying given his performances to date as press secretary.

In his first address to the media, Spicer kicked things off by lambasting the White House press pack, labelling their reports on Trump's inauguration crowds "false reporting" and recommending "what you guys should be writing and covering". He also ominously warned that under Trump, the press would "be held accountable" for reporting the news.

In the weeks that followed, Spicer mislabeled Mexico's leader as a Prime Minister (he's a President), referred to Australia's Prime Minister as "Mr Trumble" (it's Turnbull) and thought Australia's US ambassador Joe Hockey was the Prime Minister himself.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Source: Getty.
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The 46-year-old was also the subject of a wildly popular Saturday Night Live skit last week. Trump took issue with the parody not because his press secretary was ridiculed to a global audience, but because Spicer was played by a woman (Melissa McCarthy).

Prior to working for Trump, Spicer spent years working within the Republican National Committee and worked closely with Trump's Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus.

Ivanka Trump

While Ivanka's brothers Don Jr. and Eric have taken over the running of the Trump family business, Ivanka, husband Jared Kushner and their three children have relocated to Washington in order to work with the President.

While Ivanka doesn't hold an official position within her father's administration, it is understood she is seen as a key player within his inner circle, and with Melania Trump spending much of her time in New York, it is believed Ivanka will embody a role that is equal parts First Lady, First Daughter, political strategist and Trump presidency brand ambassador.

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Alongside her husband, the 35-year-old proved herself to be an invaluable asset while on the campaign trail, even helping her father select Mike Pence as his Vice-President.

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Ivanka Trump. Source: Getty.
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"Ivanka Trump was in a very unique position to give her father voice in choosing a vice presidential running mate. Because she knows what Donald Trump expects," Kellyanne Conway told CNN in January.

Since making the interstate move, however, Ivanka's personal businesses had suffered a major hit, with a number of US retail giants dropping her clothing and jewellery lines in response to her father's controversial policies.

Jared Kushner

Having remained out of the spotlight for much of the campaign trail, Jared Kushner is largely regarded as being "the" person who has the ear of the President and is seen as having an innate ability to reason with his father-in-law and avoid Twitter outbursts before they begin.

Kushner, who also comes from a successful real estate family, has spent a decade as a member of the Trump clan, and was sworn in as a senior adviser days after Trump's inauguration (his younger brother, Josh Kushner, was spotted at the New York Women's March just one day before).

donald trump's inner circle
Jared Kushner with father-in-law Donald Trump. Source: Getty.
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While the public rarely hears from Kushner directly, it is understood the 36-year-old will focus largely on foreign policy in his new role.

It has also been rumoured Kushner has major political ambitions of his own.

In addition to working for Trump, Kushner owns the New York Observer, a publication he purchased when he was just 27 years old.

Reince Priebus

Having served as chairman of the Republican National Committee for six years, Trump's Chief of Staff Reince Priebus has possibly the hardest - and most unenviable - job of all time.

Alongside Steve Bannon, the 44-year-old is believed to have played a major role in helping Trump win the election, and now, in addition to ensuring his boss' office runs as smoothly as possible and serving as the unofficial gatekeeper to Trump, Priebus must work closely with House Speaker Paul Ryan and members of Congress (many of whom do not support Trump or the action he is taking in the name of the party).

donald Trump's inner circle
Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Source: Getty.
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In October, Priebus labelled Trump "a role model."

“You know, I think everyone’s a role model in different ways. When you look at someone who has built businesses, lost businesses, came back, lived the American dream, a person who sets goals, he’s a winner," he told Fox News.

Less than two weeks later, though, Priebus condemned Trump's comments from the leaked Hollywood Access tape, saying,“No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever."