But much of his effort was overshadowed by the announcement Friday that his campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, had resigned, completing the shift in power at the top of Trump’s campaign but keeping alive the sense of turbulence within the operation. “Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success”. The friend added that’s not a knock on either of them, but just “how (Manafort) rolls”. By then, it was clear that Manafort was the man in charge.
Advertisement
Manafort’s move took some by surprise because they thought that even though he had been lowered on the staff hierarchy, he would stay on as an adviser. Leshchenko said Manafort had worked in Ukraine for several years and that the entries in the ledgers are the only explanation of how he could have been paid.
The resignation comes as the campaign seeks to correct course after weeks of damaging controversies and self-inflicted wounds, effectively evaporating Trump’s steady footing against Clinton in the polls and his post-convention bump. And right now, Clinton is far ahead of Trump, leading 58% to 35% with women voters.
Trump’s son, Eric Trump, told Fox News in an interview that will air Sunday that his father anxious questions about Manafort’s past were taking attention away from the billionaire’s presidential bid. But hopes of a so-called “pivot” vanished as the summer wore on and Trump appeared intent on settling scores with former rivals within his own party and critics. You can’t make him more appealing, no matter who is running that particular clown show. He later refused to apologize or express regret, although he did say late Thursday that he was sorry if he had caused “personal pain” for unspecified comments. The report said Manafort and Rick Gates, his deputy in his consulting work and on the Trump campaign, did not register as foreign agents, a requirement for those lobbying on behalf of foreign leaders or parties.
“I have never received a single “off-the-books cash payment” as falsely “reported” by The New York Times, nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russian Federation”, he said.
Lewandowski’s assessment came after Eric Trump suggested that Manafort left due to his relationship with pro-Russia Ukrainian politicians, though Trump did not mention Manafort’s overseas ties directly.
Manafort has been relying on a former interpreter for Russian military intelligence to collect unpaid fees in Ukraine owed to his company by the Opposition Bloc, a political party founded by former Party of Regions legislators, Politico reported Friday.
“Well, look it’s obviously a hard thing for anybody when they change jobs and have a position that they’ve been so invested in for a long time and really put their heart and soul into something, to not be part of it, particularly when you’re this close”, Lewandowski told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on “At This Hour”. “But you had two of these things in concert”, the strategist said.
“The money was transferred in cash and it is impossible to trace the transactions, but I have no doubt as to the authenticity of these documents”, he said.
Manafort’s background finally caught up with him. “But I think Donald, he knows what he’s doing, he’s got it under control”. He wasn’t prepared to tamp it down. “He got what he deserved”, said Jordan Lieberman, politics and public affairs lead at Audience Partners. “You don’t have a voice in those meetings any longer that has presidential experience”.
His more than year-long, highly controversial campaign has attracted white supremacists, alienated immigrants and done little to win over minorities.
When he was hired in March, Manafort succeeded in taking over control of the campaign from Corey Lewandowski, a novice operative who served as Trump’s campaign manager despite having never run a presidential race.
Advertisement
But as the U.S. press published story after story of staff tearing their hair out with their boss’s seeming inability to stay on message, Trump batted aside suggestions that he should change tack.
