washington/new york months u.s. president donald trump national security adviser chief strategist battle influence behind scenes feud may force another shake-up white house dispute lieutenant general h.r mcmaster political strategist stephen bannon reach level animosity destabilize trump team top advisers administration try regain lose momentum three senior officials say pressure moderate republicans fire bannon trump decline publicly back tuesday although leave options open see happen mr. bannon tell reporters trump tower new york whatever trump decide could chart fate nuclear-weapons deal iran u.s. troop deployments afghanistan white house staff decisions issue bannon mcmaster spar bannon precarious position trump opt keep part chief strategist play major role election victory back many president loyal rank-and-file supporters president obviously nervous afraid fire source close white house tell reuters source float possibility bannon could demote instead fire note might turn harsh critic administration force inner circle two senior officials supporters mcmaster ask identify say blame bannon series attack right-wing website breitbart news bannon use lead far-right conservative group recent weeks breitbart publish series article make case mcmaster ouster basis strong ally israel staff national security council holdovers obama administration one senior officials say mcmaster anger campaign know president decline say whether national security adviser tell trump directly general john kelly ally president new chief staff mcmaster say bannon mastermind behind campaign think bannon could stop want say one mcmaster defenders television interview sunday mcmaster repeatedly decline answer ask could work bannon feud bannon decline comment mcmaster unavailable comment instead fire bannon trump could move mcmaster position outside white house possibly back active military command role keep men insist form truce bannon survive white house power struggle year establish detente trump son-in-law senior adviser jar kushner scold president two senior officials support mcmaster say kelly angry anti-mcmaster campaign make white house appear chaotic reflect badly bring chief staff two weeks ago restore order discipline bannon see defender trump nationalist base advocate end renegotiation trade deal isolationist approach foreign affairs mcmaster push scrap 2015 nuclear-weapons agreement iran mcmaster argue remain place also propose use contractors fight war afghanistan rather expand u.s. force mcmaster advocate mcmaster part pragmatic group bannon like label globalists draw fury bannon supporters recently overhaul white house national security council push four staffers see close bannon conservative commentator mike cernovich bannon ally vocal critic mcmaster even level personal attack cernovich say talk directly bannon praise important counterweight mcmaster also warn president would alienate loyal supporters fire bannon think people like trump suddenly go say go fight trump instead say point support cernovich tell reuters conservative jewish-american pro-israel group zionist organization america zoa also close tie bannon one mcmaster sharp critics urge trump reassign away policy areas deal israel iran trump back mcmaster say good man pro-israel source close zoa bristle suggestion bannon influence approach say would tone campaign mcmaster despite entreaties bannon find remarkably offensive anyone would suggest steve bannon anyone else tell us say say source say make feel awful get blame nothing it banish bannon trump weigh options top aid feud