Trump shakes up campaign team
TETERBORO, N.J. — Donald Trump announced a shakeup of his campaign leadership Wednesday, the latest sign of tumult for his struggling White House bid less than three months from his Election Day faceoff with Hillary Clinton.
Trump named Stephen Bannon of the conservative Breitbart News website as chief executive and promoted pollster Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager. The moves signal Trump plans to embrace his populist, outsider persona in the campaign’s final stretch rather than moderate and extend a hand to more traditional Republicans.
“I’ve known both of them for a long time. They’re terrific people, they’re winners, they’re champs, and we need to win it,” Trump said.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s controversial campaign chairman, will retain his title. But Trump said Bannon would now oversee the campaign staff and operations, raising questions about Manafort’s role.
Manafort has spent months trying to ingratiate Trump to Republican lawmakers who have urged the billionaire businessman to dial back his fiery rhetoric and run a more traditional campaign.
The latest staff changes appear to be a rejection of Manafort’s attempt to tame Trump. Manafort, who took over the reins from Corey Lewandowski in June, has come under scrutiny because of his past work for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party. The Associated Press reported Wednesday Manafort helped the party secretly route at least US$2.2 million in payments to two prominent Washington lobbying firms in 2012.