Donald Trump and his staff have declared war on the “Deep State”

The escalating crisis surrounding the Russia investigation (with reports last night on FBI interest in Jared Kushner) looks like good news for somebody in the White House: Steve Bannon.

Nine sources in the West Wing and within Trump’s close orbit said the Russia situation is Bannon’s shot at redemption. He’s being described as a “wartime consigliere” relishing a fight against the “deep state,” media, Democrats and investigators.

Why it matters: Bannon had been on very rocky footing recently (to the extent that the President has vented to a number of people about him), but the bolstering of the White House team to respond to the outside crises is a joint effort led by Kushner, Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, two sources said. The senior staff that had been out for each other is now united by a common enemy.

“It is now very clear that there is a unified opponent and that’s ultimately the swamp, both with regard to the deep state leakers, to the partisan opponents and the people who just don’t want to give up their power. That includes the media,” said one source close to the process. “Obviously you want it [unity] under different circumstances but it’s really united this team and helped bring clarity to their focus.”

The proposed war room (the planning for which Mike Allen scooped yesterday) is not currently conceived as being about replacing current staff but adding “experienced veterans from the campaign trail who recognize the gravity of the situation,” the source added.