Trump Picks RNC Chairman Priebus as Chief of Staff

President-elect Trump has named Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus as his chief of staff, NBC reports. The choice was widely believed to be between Priebus and Steve Bannon, Trump's campaign CEO and executive chairman of Breitbart News. In the end, both will stay on board. While Priebus won the big job, Politico reports that Bannon will be Trump's chief strategist. "I am thrilled to have my very successful team continue with me in leading our country," Trump said in a statement. "Steve and Reince are highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory."

Bannon and Priebus represent two camps expected to be fighting for influence over the Trump presidency: Priebus is an establishment Republican with years of experience in politics, while Bannon is a fiery ideologue whose conservative media powerhouse, Breitbart News, is described as a "must-read for antiestablishment conservatives" by the Wall Street Journal. Other establishment Republicans may find some comfort knowing Priebus will play such a central role in the Trump White House, CNN reports. Priebus, who has led the Republican Party since 2011, is widely viewed as a moderating influence who may be able to forge alliances with Republicans like Paul Ryan. (More Reince Priebus stories.)