Donald says sorry
FOR the first time since declaring his presidential run, Republican Donald Trump expressed regret for saying things that may have hurt people.
“Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that,” the GOP nominee, reading from prepared text, said at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“And believe it or not, I regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain.”
He added: “Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues.”
As the crowd cheered, Mr Trump pledged to “always tell you the truth”.
The remarks came as Mr Trump makes significant changes to a campaign that has struggled since the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions from self-created distractions.
Earlier Thursday, Mr Trump moved to invest nearly $5 million in battle-
Sometimes in the heat of debate ... you say the wrong thing. I have done that
ground state advertising to address daunting challenges in the states that will make or break his White House ambitions.
He also shook up his campaign in recent days, tapping a combative conservative media executive, Stephen Bannon, to serve as CEO of the campaign.
The New York businessman’s campaign reserved television ad space over the coming 10 days in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to Kantar Media’s political ad tracker.
While Democrat Hillary Clinton has spent more than $75 million on advertising in 10 states since locking up her party’s nomination, Mr Trump’s new investment marks his first of the general election season.
Election Day is 81 days away, with early voting in the first states set to begin in five weeks.
The step into swing-state advertising, which came after Mr Trump’s second staffing shake-up in as many months, did little to alleviate the concerns of Republican officials frustrated with Mr Trump’s refusal to adopt the tools of modern-day political campaigns.
“We may have reached the point of no return for Donald Trump,” said Republican strategist Alex Conant, a senior aide to Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign.
In addition to Mr Bannon, pollster Kellyanne Conway filled the campaign manager position left vacant since Mr Trump fired his former campaign chief almost two months ago.
But Mr Trump struck a new, inclusive tone on Thursday, as he worked to improve his dismal poll numbers among non-white voters. “I will not rest until children of every colour in this country are fully included in the American Dream,” he said.
DONALD TRUMP