Trump Names RNC Chairman Reince Priebus White House Chief Of Staff
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) -- Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus will serve as White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump, the presidential transition team announced Sunday.
Trump for President chief executive officer Steve Bannon will serve as chief strategist and senior counselor to the president.
The transition team said Bannon and Priebus will work as "equal founders to transform the federal government," and will work together with Vice President-elect Mike Pence to help lead the transition process.
"I am thrilled to have my very successful team continue with me in leading our country," President-elect Trump said in a news release. "Steve and Reince are highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory. Now I will have them both with me in the White House as we work to make America great again."
"It is truly an honor to join President-elect Trump in the White House as his Chief of Staff," Priebus said n the release. "I am very grateful to the President-elect for this opportunity to serve him and this nation as we work to create an economy that works for everyone, secure our borders, repeal and replace Obamacare and destroy radical Islamic terrorism. He will be a great President for all Americans."
"I want to thank President-elect Trump for the opportunity to work with Reince in driving the agenda of the Trump Administration," Bannon said in the release. "We had a very successful partnership on the campaign, one that led to victory. We will have that same partnership in working to help President-elect Trump achieve his agenda."
As CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported, Priebus is former chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party and is close to House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Bannon is the former head of Breitbart News, and an ex-Navy officer and Goldman Sachs investment banker.
Trump announced his transition team on Friday. Pence is now leading the team, replacing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who was named vice chairman.
Sources said Christie had gradually been stepping back from his role for a few weeks. It came after two of his top aides were convicted in the Bridgegate scandal.
Christie is joined on the executive committee by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.
A statement says more than a dozen other people will also advise Trump on transition matters – including Bannon and Priebus. The team also includes:
- Congressman Lou Barletta
- Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn
- Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
- Congressman Chris Collins
- Jared Kushner
- Congressman Tom Marino
- Rebekah Mercer
- Steven Mnuchin
- Congressman Devin Nunes
- Anthony Scaramucci
- Peter Thiel
- Donald Trump Jr.
- Eric Trump
- Ivanka Trump