US election: Who is Donald Trump's new chief strategist Steve Bannon?
Updated
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Steve Bannon — a controversial former media executive — as his chief strategist in the White House.
The move has angered Democrats, civil rights groups, celebrities and even some Republicans, who say Mr Bannon's ultra-conservative views shouldn't have a place in the top levels of US political leadership.
So, who is Mr Bannon, what does he stand for, and why do some believe he is a cause for concern?
Who is he?
Mr Bannon was the CEO of Mr Trump's presidential campaign.
He is the former executive chairman of Breitbart News, an American conservative news site which under his leadership became a forum for the "alt-right" — the umbrella term for a group of Americans who seek to eschew political correctness and break the current political system, and are viewed by critics as a loose online group of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites.
Before that, he was an officer in the United States Navy and worked as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs.
Fun fact: Mr Bannon is also a keen businessman and has made a fortune from reruns of the hit TV show Seinfeld.
As reported by the Daily Beast, he was made a stakeholder in the series after helping negotiate the sale of Castle Rock Entertainment, the production company behind the show.
Why are people concerned?
Mr Bannon is fiercely anti-establishment and during his time at Breitbart News he led a charge against the Republican Party, including the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan.
In the 1990s, his personal life was thrown into the spotlight when he was accused by his former wife Mary Louise Piccard of domestic abuse. Charges brought against him were later dropped.
In a court filing during their divorce, Ms Piccard famously alleged that he "doesn't like Jews and that he doesn't like the way they raise their kids to be 'whiney brats'."
So what will he be doing?
As chief strategist and counsellor, Mr Bannon will be a high-ranking assistant to Mr Trump, responsible for helping him execute his political game plan and manage his communications both inside government and with the public.
He will share the task of steering Mr Trump's administration with Washington insider Reince Priebus, who will serve as Mr Trump's chief of staff.
What have Democrats said?
Democrats and advocacy groups on the left say Mr Bannon is a promoter of racism and misogyny who is backed by the white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan.
"There should be no sugar-coating the truth here: Donald Trump just invited a white nationalist into the highest reaches of the Government," Democratic senator Jeff Merkley said.
What do conservatives say?
Some conservatives and Republicans have voiced dismay at the appointment, including John Weaver, a top strategist for Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich.
Mr Kasich was one of 16 Republican presidential hopefuls Mr Trump defeated in the party primaries.
Mr Weaver had this to say on Twitter:
But surely there must be some who approve?
Yes, there are, most notably his new political partner Mr Priebus and Mr Trump's former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway.
Mr Priebus says Mr Bannon is wise and well-educated, and he has not encountered the sort of extremist or racist views that critics are assailing.
"He was a force for good on the campaign," Mr Priebus told Fox News, adding that they were in agreement on "almost everything" in terms of advising the President-elect.
Ms Conway has described him as a "brilliant tactician".
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, us-elections, united-states
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