Donald Trump Makes Major Shakeup of Top-Tier Campaign Staff
With just a little more than 80 days left before Election Day, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced he has hired his third campaign manager just since he secured the GOP nod after winning the Indiana Primary.
Wednesday morning, he announced campaign chairman Paul Manafort would be stepping down from his duties as campaign manager—a role he held temporarily after Corey Lewandowski was fired—to make room for longtime Republican campaign strategist Kellyanne Conway. The founder and president of The Polling Company/WomanTrend is expected to take over the campaign’s messaging for the next three months.
Conway, who formerly ran U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s Keep The Promise I PAC, joined the Trump Train in July as an adviser to Manafort and chief pollster Tony Fabrizio. She is seen by many to be an expert in campaign data analysis and messaging.
Meanwhile, Steve Bannon, chairman of Breitbart News, is leaving his post temporarily to serve as the Trump campaign’s CEO. In that role, he is expected to oversee the day-to-day activities of the staff, which is also expected to continue growing.
“I have known Steve and Kellyanne both for many years,” Trump said in a statement about the new hires. “They are extremely capable, highly qualified people who love to win and know how to win.”
The moves come mere hours after a trifecta of powerful speeches from Trump on economics, national security, and law and order that many experts say signal the long-awaited “pivot” from GOP primary candidate to Republican presidential candidate. The campaign is about to run its first campaign TV ads after he secured the nomination—and is currently being outspent on TV by a 9-to-1 margin.
“I believe we’re adding some of the best talents in politics, with the experience and expertise needed to defeat Hillary Clinton in November and continue to share my message and vision to Make America Great Again,” Trump added in his statement. “I am committed to doing whatever it takes to win this election, and ultimately become president because our country cannot afford four more years of the failed Obama-Clinton policies which have endangered our financial and physical security.”
