“Paul Manafort’s resignation is a clear admission that the disturbing connections between Donald Trump’s team and pro-Kremlin elements in Russian Federation and Ukraine are untenable”, said campaign Manager Robby Mook in a statement. “He helped us get through the primary process, he helped us get through the convention, he did a great job with the delegates”, Trump said. “Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success”, Trump said.
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Trump’s statement on Manafort did not mention the broader campaign shake-up or the Ukrainian lobbying controversy.
Ukrainian officials confirmed Manafort’s name appeared on a ledger and that more than $12 million had been allocated as an expenditure but said the presence of his name did not mean he received the funds.
“This is a reminder to me and to the American public that Donald Trump will do anything it takes to win”, he said.calling it “the best week Donald Trump has had in a long, long time” and “a very important change for the campaign”.
The Trump campaign said Friday that Rick Gates, Manafort’s deputy, would now serve as its liaison to the Republican National Committee. Manafort has vehemently denied the allegations.
In June, Manafort won an internecine power struggle that saw Trump’s previous, controversial campaign chief Corey Lewandowski being shown the door – literally.
Even so, as late as Thursday, some Trump aides were expecting Mr Manafort’s departure, saying he was inclined to give the newer team members room to develop and execute their own strategy. Lewandowski, who has continued to support Trump during on-air appearances as a CNN contributor, pointed to the lack of a traditional campaign structure on the ground – and reports that the Trump campaign hadn’t purchased airtime for TV ads – as reasons for the political adviser’s downfall. In addition, Steve Bannon, the executive chairman of Breitbart News, was appointed as the new chief executive of his campaign. But Manafort’s role in the campaign had been significantly marginalized under the new leadership structure announced Wednesday.
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He attempted to professionalize the Trump campaign, hiring more staff and working to persuade the candidate to adopt more of the practices of a traditional candidate. Trump also promoted veteran pollster and personal confidant Kellyanne Conway to a senior position. And as, traditionally speaking, polling trends tend to lock in after Labor Day, the Trump campaign only has about two weeks at the outside to flip the script.
