Trump reached a new, astonishing height of irresponsibility when he announced that his anti-semite, blogger advisor, Steve Bannon, would be added to the National Security Council (while at the same time Trump kicked off the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff).
I have no idea why this took so long to report, or didn't come from the Democratic leadership, but the great news is that Bannon’s appointment violates the law establishing the NSC:
According to Title 50 of the U.S. Code, Section 3021, which established the National Security Council, it “shall be composed of” the president; the vice president; the secretaries of state, defense, and energy; and “the secretaries and undersecretaries of other executive departments and of the military departments, when appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve at his pleasure.”
As the president’s chief political strategist, Bannon is not a secretary or undersecretary of any department. Nor, as a member of the White House staff, has he been confirmed by the Senate. So he is not eligible to serve on the NSC, and if that’s the case, he is doubly ineligible to sit on its Principals Committee—the assembly of Cabinet secretaries and department heads (sometimes including the president) that discusses and makes decisions on high-level U.S. foreign and military policy.
For pete’s sake Senate Democrats, get on this issue pronto. I mean, now! Not just for politics, but for our survival.
And, yes, notice what that statute states: “with the advice and consent of the [Republican] Senate.” This not only is a wedge issue served up on a silver platter, this is the once-for-all, come-to-God accountability moment for the Republican Senate and the Republican party generally. If they want this anti-Semitic, disturbed amateur sitting on the NSC, then make them vote to have it happen and own it for all time.
Democrats are looking for some real victories? This is practically screaming for attention.