Trump also named Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager, which essentially demoted Manafort.
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In his first speech since reordering his campaign leadership, Donald Trump told a crowd in Charlotte, N.C., that he regrets some of what he has said, a rare admission from him that some of his campaign rhetoric has stirred controversy.
“I think people want him to be authentic”, Spicer said.
Also not helping: Manafort’s Ukraine business ties with pro-Russian factions also have surfaced as an issue, with recent disclosures of his dealings detailed in New York Times, Associated Press and Washington Post reports.
Mr Manafort’s resignation comes a day after reports that confidential emails from Mr Manafort’s firm contradicted his claims that he had never lobbied on behalf of Ukrainian political figures in the US.
Mr Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, failed to disclose their work as foreign agents as required under federal law.
She praised Stephen Bannon, a former banker turned colourful, right-wing news executive whom Trump appointed campaign CEO, as a “brilliant tactician”.
Trump and running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence plan to visit the state later Friday, CBS News reported.
He successfully led the campaign in the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where Trump was formally nominated as the party’s presidential nominee.
Trump thanked Manafort for the contributions he made during his three months leading the campaign in a statement Friday. Trump fired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in June, a time at which Manafort ascended to the top of the organization. The campaign wasn’t going the way Trump thought it should or could be so he brought in fresh blood.
Facing a polling deficit against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Trump has tried to reset his campaign, announcing on Wednesday a shake-up of his senior campaign staff.
“I have done that, and I regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain”, he added.
Using a teleprompter, something he has only recently started doing at rallies, Trump said he regretted some of the things he has said.
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Could this be the new Donald Trump? Throughout the campaign, Trump has generally refused to apologize for remarks viewed as insensitive or insulting.
