THESE DAYS, having any ties to Moscow is politically toxic in Washington. Recent reports indicate President Donald Trump may have borrowed Russian money to keep his empire a float—while several investigations are underway into Kremlin interference in the U.S. presidential election.
Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon, hasn’t been implicated in any of the ongoing probes. But he does have ideological ties to Russia—and arguably had a profound impact on the administration’s relationship with the Kremlin.
How much more influence he will have is hard to predict. In early April, Bannon was booted of the National Security Council in a coup that was partly a scuffle over how to confront Russia. Days later, after the Moscow-protected government in Syria killed civilians in a chemical attack, Bannon lost a heated debate with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, over whether to punish the regime in Damascus. Despite these setbacks, Bannon remains an influential voice in the Trump administration.