Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, resigned Friday under fire over pro-Kremlin ties and after being sidelined in a reshuffle as the Republican nominee battles to reverse sinking poll numbers.
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The departure from Trump’s team did not surprise political consultants.
But Trump ‘was not a candidate that could be corralled, ‘ former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said on MSNBC television. He has concentrated on immigration, trade deals and law and order.
But to cover the remaining 90 feet to home plate, Trump now needs much more than bombast and boisterous campaign rallies, drawn by his wildly irresponsible stoking of public anger at Washington.
He attacked Clinton for her position on trade agreements, telling the MI crowd that the Democrat would send auto jobs to Mexico. To those I say the follow, what do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump? He knew about Manafort’s resignation but said it doesn’t really worry him.
“I think my father didn’t want to be, you know, distracted by you know whatever things Paul was dealing with”, Eric Trump said.
The broad-based investigation was looking into whether USA companies and the financial system were used to enable corruption by the party of former pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, CNN said.
Critics accused him last week of inciting violence against his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in a remark about the right to bear arms, and media reports have swirled about a campaign in crisis and a candidate apparently incapable of reeling in crass remarks. The person, who said he was an associate of Manafort and who gave his name only as David, referred queries to a lawyer in Washington, who did not immediately respond to a phone call and an email.
Vandervalk said no matter what happens with internal campaign politics, Trump has it under control.
In a previous shake-up, Manafort, who first joined the team in March, took over the running of the campaign from Corey Lewandowski, who was sacked as campaign manager in June.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts after delivering a campaign speech in Charlotte, N.C. Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. “He helped us get through the primary process, he helped us get through the convention, he did a great job with the delegates, and you know now you look at Kellyanne and some of the other people that we’re bringing in and they’re absolutely fantastic”.
Manafort was also dogged by reports about secretive efforts he made to help the former pro-Russian government in Ukraine, where he has worked on and off over several years. Earlier on Friday, a Ukrainian lawmaker offered more details of what he said were records of cash payments allocated to Manafort by Yanukovich’s party. Manafort’s resignation comes hours after certain damning revelations from Ukraine – a connection that has been exploited by Trump’s rival. Russian officials have rejected that accusation. “You can get rid of Manafort, but that doesn’t end the odd bromance Trump has with (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin”, said campaign manager Robby Mook.
John Feehery, a Republican strategist, said it would have been unsustainable for Manafort to stay on after Wednesday’s hires. And considering the dark clouds gathering around Pavel Manafort, his departure didn’t come a moment too soon.
Trump’s hiring of Bannon was seen as a sign he would not hold back in his aggressive, unorthodox campaign manner.
At a March rally in North Carolina, a white Trump supporter was charged with assault after video captured him sucker-punching a black protester.
Judging from Bannon’s history, Trump’s campaign will become even harsher in its attacks on Hillary Clinton and work hard to insinuate anti-Clinton stories into the mainstream media.
Manafort sought to turn the brash-talking 70-year-old NY billionaire, who has never previously held elected office, into a figure more palatable to the general electorate as well as build up a traditional campaign structure. The final stretch of the protracted campaign traditionally starts after Labor Day, which falls on September 5 this year.
It was a rare admission for a man who has said that he prefers “not to regret anything” and it underscored the dire situation Trump finds himself in. “But that said, Trump has clearly been having significant problems in the polls and he needed to do something differently and perhaps this is the beginning of the attempt”.
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Clinton won some relief on Friday from a controversy over her use of a private email system when she was secretary of state.
