Political observers were shocked when it was announced that Steve Bannon, the former chairman of Breitbart turned senior political adviser to Trump, had been granted a spot on the National Security Council at the expense of other, more traditionally senior positions. “Bannon will exercise authority no political adviser has had before. He will be a full participant, not an observer, in national security deliberations,” said David Axelrod, formerly an Obama senior adviser who attended, but did not participate, in N.S.C. meetings. “Under the president's announced structure, Bannon has eclipsed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of National Intelligence on the National Security Council.” It took several weeks before Trump reversed this decision, restoring the council to its normal state. The president was reportedly furious that Bannon had appeared to undercut him by finagling a spot on the council.