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Trump appoints Washington insider as chief of staff

Trump supporters may be angry at the appointment of  establishment figure, Reince Priebus.

Trump supporters may be angry at the appointment of establishment figure, Reince Priebus. Photo: Getty

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus will serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff.

Mr Priebus emerged as the favourite of the party’s establishment and was a loyal campaign ally to Mr Trump who has close ties with House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and signalled a willingness to work with Mr Ryan and the Republican-led Congress going forward.

The other frontrunner for the job had been Stephen Bannon, Mr Trump’s campaign chairman and former head of the conservative Breitbart News.

Mr Trump named Mr Bannon as his chief strategist and senior counsellor.

“I am thrilled to have my very successful team continue with me in leading our country,” Mr Trump said in a statement.

Stephen Bannon will become Mr Trump's chief strategist and senior counsellor. Photo: AAP.

Stephen Bannon will become Mr Trump’s chief strategist and senior counsellor. Photo: AAP.

“Steve and Reince are highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory. Now I will have them both with me in the White House.”

Mr Trump, who will take office on January 20 and will succeed Democratic President Barack Obama, has been working on his transition to the White House since Tuesday’s election win over Democrat Hillary Clinton and contemplating the candidates for top jobs in his administration.

The chief of staff position, which serves as a gatekeeper and agenda-setter for the president, is typically one of the most important early choices for an incoming president.

The appointment of Mr Priebus may anger some Trump supporters who supported Mr Trump for his promises to “drain the swamp” of business-as-usual Washington establishment figures.

Mr Trump and his advisers have already signalled he may compromise on some of his major campaign promises, including immigration, healthcare and appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton.

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