Donald Trump
Photo: AFP
Trump campaign shakes up leadership in latest sign of tumult
The republican presidential candidate announced a new campaign CEO—Stephen Bannon of Breitbart—and promoted pollster Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager.
TETERBORO, NJ - Donald Trump announced a shake-up of his campaign leadership Wednesday, the latest sign of tumult for his struggling White House bid less than three months from Election Day.
The Republican nominee named Stephen Bannon of the conservative Breitbart News website as chief executive officer and promoted pollster Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager. The moves signal that 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 told The Associated Press in a phone interview in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Donald Trump (Photo: AFP)
Paul Manafort, Trump's controversial campaign chairman, will retain his title, but it is unclear if his role will change. 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.
Trump has largely resisted those pleas and the latest staff changes seemed to guarantee he'll continue to maintain that posture.
Bannon's website has been a cheerleader for Trump's campaign for months and also critical of Republican leaders, including Ryan. A former Goldman Sachs banker, Bannon does not have presidential campaign experience.
Conway joined Trump's campaign earlier this year as a senior adviser. A longtime Republican strategist and pollster, she has close ties to Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
Conway told the AP the moves were "an expansion at a critical time in the homestretch."
Stephen Bannon (Photo: AP)
Manafort deputy Rick Gates, who has been traveling often with Trump, is expected to maintain a senior role with the campaign.
Manafort, who took over the reins following the departure of campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in June, has come under scrutiny because of his past work for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party.
The campaign shake-up, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as polls show Trump trailing Clinton nationally and in key battleground states following a difficult campaign stretch that saw him insulting the Muslim parents of a US Army soldier who died in Iraq and temporarily refraining from endorsing House Speaker Paul Ryan in his primary race.
Kellyanne Conway (Photo: AP)
While Trump's campaign staff publicly insists there is plenty of time left for the Republican to change the trajectory of the race, the candidate is facing a shrinking timeline. Early voting begins in a handful of states in September.
Details of the new pecking order were hashed out at a lengthy senior staff meeting at Trump Tower Tuesday while Trump was on the road. A statement announcing the hires was released Wednesday. Additional senior hires are expected soon.
