Steve Bannon Is Leaving White House

Steve Bannon is out as White House chief strategist. After multiple reports surfaced about his imminent departure, the White House confirmed that Friday is Bannon's last day on the job, reports the New York Times. One of the newspaper's sources says the resignation was actually Bannon's idea, and that it was supposed to be announced at the beginning of the week but the Charlottesville violence delayed it. The Drudge Report also reported Friday that Bannon would be "moving on" after an "impressive run" as senior adviser to the president, and that he may return to Breitbart News. Vanity Fair reporter Gabriel Sherman says the latter is true.

ABC News echoes the Times source who said Bannon submitted his own resignation; per ABC, the resignation date was supposed to be Aug. 14, exactly one year after Bannon joined Trump's campaign. His reported ouster comes after increasing clashes with other Trump advisers, including Trump family members. Known as a right-wing nationalist, calls for Bannon to be removed increased after the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that ended in violence. Earlier this week, Trump insisted that Bannon is "not a racist," but said "we'll see what happens" with regard to his future at the White House. Also this week, Bannon gave an unsolicited interview in which he called the far-right "clowns."