Bannon, Kushner involved in ‘war room’ for Russia probe: report
President Trump’s top advisers plan to set up a “war room” unit to combat negative reports resulting from the ongoing probe into possible ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia, Reuters reported Friday.
White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner will be involved in the new messaging effort, which also aims to push Trump’s policy agenda and schedule more rallies with supporters, according to Reuters.
Kushner and Bannon will work together to step up the White House’s strategic messaging. Reuters reports that Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, is also expected to be part of the messaging operation.
{mosads}Bannon and White House chief of staff Reince Priebus have been laying the groundwork for the messaging operation this week, sources told the news outlet.
“Since the firing of Comey, that really exposed the fact that the White House in its current structure … is not prepared for really a one-front war, let alone a two-front war,” a person who remains in regular communication with the White House told Reuters.
“They need to have a structure in place that allows them to stay focused, [while] also truly fighting back on these attacks and these leaks.”
The reported “war room” is just one of the steps Trump and his advisers plan to take to respond to the probe into Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Trump reportedly hired Marc Kasowitz as his personal attorney earlier this week to represent him and guide him through the Russia investigations following the appointment of former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the Russia investigation.
The president and his team are putting together a legal team of prominent lawyers who can help him best proceed through the questions surrounding whether his campaign colluded with Moscow.
The White House declined Reuter’s request for comment on the “war room” plans. A White House official confirmed to the news service that Trump intends to hold more rallies.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.