President Trump appoints Rick Perry to National Security Council after removing Steve Bannon

ByKATHERINE FAULDERS ABCNews logo

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Energy Secretary-designate, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, is sworn-in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 prior to his confirmation hearing.
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster-AP

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump has added Energy secretary and former Texas governor Rick Perry to the National Security Council after removing Steve Bannon from his role.

Bannon had been given the authority to participate in National Security Council Principals Committee meetings after Trump signed an executive memorandum in January. At the time, some experts called the move an unprecedented political appointment to the panel.

Bannon, a former Breitbart News executive, had no objections to his removal, a source familiar with the decision told ABC News.

In this March 17, 2017, file photo, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is seen in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File

"He was there to babysit now-former national security adviser Michael Flynn, to watch him as he deoperationalized the NSC from Obama-era national security adviser Susan Rice," the source said. "Mission done."

Flynn was forced to resign from his position in February after he admitted to misleading Trump administration officials on the nature of multiple phone calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump's inauguration.