Paul Manafort, former adviser to fugitive Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, will take over as campaign manager for the United States Republican Party’s presidential candidate Donald Trump, Reuters reports.
Advertisement
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., a Trump supporter who is considered a possible vice presidential running mate, praised Lewandowski for playing a “key role in the most remarkable campaign in modern history”.
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks released a statement on Monday which indicated that, “the Donald J. Trump Campaign for President, which has set a historic record in the Republican Primary having received nearly 14 million votes, has today announced that Corey Lewandowski will no longer be working with the campaign”.
“With Corey, I’m really proud of him”, Trump told Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on “The O’Reilly Factor” on Monday. Trump Jr. said he was in the room when Lewandowski was sacked. The real reason was, according to New York Magazine, that Lewandowski got in a fight with Trump’s adult family, and he lost.
“I wouldn’t because it’s a question of protection”, Trump said.
But even with Lewandowski’s departure, Trump faces an uphill climb.
Lewandowski was seen as the architect of the pugnacious, self-congratulatory style that helped Trump win the primaries, but other advisers are now pressing Trump to adopt a more statesmanlike demeanor as he faces Clinton in the general election.
Trump’s kids, led by daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr. and Eric, reportedly convinced their dad that Lewandowski had to go. “We have tremendous people, we have tremendous talent”, he was quoted as saying. “I ran the campaign very lean, spent very little money”.
A senior Trump aide told ABC News that Lewandowski’s firing “was a long time coming” and that the campaign “need [ed] to get everyone on the same page”.
Donald Trump promises to “make our country rich again”, but he can’t seem to hold that promise for his campaign’s coffers.
Caputo tweeted “Ding, dong, the witch is dead” shortly after news about Lewandowski broke.
On NBC’s “Today”, Trump said he may have to tap more into his own funds. I know that’s hard to say, to look back on it.
Advertisement
A person close to Mr Trump said Mr Lewandowski was forced out largely because of the campaign’s worsening relationship with the Republican National Committee, donors and party officials, who have increasingly criticised the candidate in recent weeks. He said he would continue to support his presidential bid.
