Donald Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway insists Steve Bannon 'is not as scary' as reports suggest

How reassuring

(L-R) Chris Christie, Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon (Getty Images )

Donald Trump’s spokesperson has insisted the President-elect's new chief strategist is not “as scary” as the reports to emerge since his announcement might suggest.

The appointment of Steve Bannon, so-called “alt-right” figurehead and Breitbart executive chairman, has been condemned over the accusations of racism, sexism, discrimination and transphobia levelled at the site he has overseen for four years.

“Young Muslims in the West are a ticking time bomb” and “There’s no hiring bias against women in tech, they just suck at interviews” are both headlines of articles published by the ultra-conservative site.

The content published on Breitbart and his previous comments, including his description of liberal women as “dykes” are exacerbating concerns.

But Kellyanne Conway, Mr Trump’s spokesperson throughout his campaign, insists the reaction to his selection is overblown. Conway worked closely with Bannon in the weeks leading up to the election when he was chosen to head up Mr Trump's campaign.

In an interview with Today, she praised his abilities as a political strategist.

“I promise you he’s not as scary, and he is as brilliant a tactician - and our campaign general, frankly, on the field - as everyone is also saying,” she said. “I know him well, I worked hand-in-glove with him, and I feel that these charges are very unfair.

“In terms of him being the public face of the campaign, that’s a decision that we have made strategically. They put me out there all the time. I would love to share the stage with him and others, believe me."

The close relationship between Bannon and Mr Trump has also been closely scrutinised. Breitbart became unashamedly pro-Trump and Mr Trump gave exclusive interviews during his campaign, boosting the traffic being driven to the site.

”They complement each other,” Conway said shortly after his position and Mr Trump’s new chief of staff, Reince Priebus,was announced. “They both have the most important thing: the ear of the boss.“