Ex-Bush speechwriter: Dumping Steve Bannon won’t help because Trump attracts ‘bad characters'

David Frum, the former George W. Bush speechwriter who coined the phrase "axis of evil," blasted Donald Trump's judge of character.

The conservative commentator and outspoken Trump opponent appeared Wednesday morning on CNN's "New Day," where host Chris Cuomo asked him about the apparent "palace intrigue" involving senior White House strategist Steve Bannon.

The president signed a highly controversial -- and possibly illegal -- executive order last week banning travelers from certain majority-Muslim nations.

Cuomo and others believe that order has Bannon's fingerprints "all over it," but Frum said it won't matter if the former Breitbart News chief is eventually pushed out of the White House.

"The problem is the president," Frum said. "Donald Trump has, throughout his career, attracted bad characters."

"If one character falls out of favor, he'll be replaced by another bad character," Frum continued. "The problem comes from the top."

.@davidfrum: "Donald Trump has, throughout his career, attracted bad characters" https://t.co/euKU6Rk7zD

— New Day (@NewDay) February 1, 2017