That decision by Trump seemed to be an embrace of Manafort’s strategy.
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Paul Manafort on stage with Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump.
The departure of the smooth-talking strategist, who has advised Republican presidential candidates going back to Gerald Ford, follows weeks of damaging USA media reports about a White House campaign in crisis.
Trump felt “hemmed in” by Manafort and others pushing him to act more presidential, according to news reports explaining the earlier campaign shake-up. The billionaire called Manafort “a true professional”.
Donald Trump made a habit of touting his high poll numbers – when he was up. The Aug. 14-18 online poll showed that Clinton was supported by 42 percent of Americans who are expected to vote, compared with 34 percent for Trump. Kellyanne Conway, a pollster Trump on Wednesday named campaign manager, and Stephen Bannon, the Breitbart news chief tapped as Trump’s executive chairman, both loomed over Manafort on the new Make America Great Again personnel chart.
Trump’s acknowledgment of regret was in sharp contrast to the firm stance he’s held of not backing down or apologizing for controversial remarks he has made over the course of his campaign, including criticizing the Muslim parents of a slain American soldier and saying that “Second Amendment people” could stop Hillary Clinton from appointing judges.
“This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign”, Trump said. “I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are…” “I am not sure Donald Trump would be as successful had it not been for Manafort”.
Manafort is also stepping down amid growing allegations related to his work on behalf of a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.
Party of Regions was Ukraine’s ruling political party until early 2014, when Kremlin-friendly now former-President Vikctor Yanukovych was toppled amid mass protests calling for the country to move closer to the West.
The Clinton campaign has pointed to Manafort’s work in Ukraine to add to its criticism of favorable comments that Trump has made about Russian President Vladimir Putin and to sow doubts in voters’ minds about whether the Russian government has an unseen hand in the USA election. Russian officials have rejected that accusation.
It had marked Manafort’s first return to top-level Republican politics in 20 years – having been reportedly passed over in 2008 by John McCain, who was allegedly alarmed in part over his ties to Yanukovych.
“Too many cooks in the kitchen”, Feehery said. “And I do regret it – particularly where it may have caused personal pain”.
The New York businessman’s campaign reserved television ad space over the coming 10 days in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to Kantar Media’s political ad tracker. “I have done that – and, believe it or not, I regret it”.
The pro-Clinton organization American Bridge cited news reports that Manafort will continue to be an ally of Trump’s, and added that “the Trump campaign will have plenty of Russian Federation ties without him – starting with the Putin-admiring, NATO-hating candidate himself”.
“Paul Manafort got him to the convention and [helped] bring those delegates to the magic number he had to have to be the nominee”, said Huckabee.
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A spokesman for Kushner declined to comment.
