BANGOR, Maine - Further efforts by President Donald Trump to reorganize the National Security Council continues to generate criticism after Trump removed the country's most senior intelligence and military officials as regular members of the Principals Committee and installed a top political adviser on the committee.
Sen. Angus King says he has serious concerns over the changes, as well as the appointment of Steve Bannon, Trump's chief strategist.
"I'm concerned about the reorganization of the National Security Council - particularly that [Bannon's appointment] - but also the lowering of the status of the head of the intelligence community and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," King said. "The National Security Council, it seems to me, should have the leading national security figures on it, and to diminish the role of the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of the National Intelligence to me just makes no sense."
The White House press office has confirmed that Trump will reinstate the director of the CIA as a regular Principals Committee member.
