Politics

Trump Shakes Up Campaign; Taps Breitbart News Executive To Run Campaign

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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With his poll numbers across the country sinking, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is shaking up his campaign by installing the top executive of the conservative populist website Breitbart News as CEO of his campaign.

On Wednesday, Trump announced he has named Steve Bannon of Breitbart News as the campaign’s chief executive officer. By joining the Trump campaign, Bannon will temporarily step down from leading the pro-Trump Breitbart, according to the campaign. The new position is “designed to bolster the business-like approach of Mr. Trump’s campaign.”

Trump also named pollster Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager.

The person who had been running the campaign, Paul Manafort, will remain as campaign chairman and chief strategist, the Trump campaign said.

 “I am committed to doing whatever it takes to win this election, and ultimately become President because our country cannot afford four more years of the failed Obama-Clinton policies which have endangered our financial and physical security,” Trump said in a statement.

As some in the GOP have expressed hope Trump would moderate his tone heading into the general election, the hiring of Bannon signals Trump is not going to water-down his conservative populist message that helped him win the GOP primary.

In a statement, Manafort said: “It is imperative we continue to expand our team with top-tier talent. Steve and Kellyanne are respected professionals who believe in Mr. Trump and his message and will undoubtedly help take the campaign to new levels of success.”

This isn’t Trump’s first campaign shakeup: in June, he fired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.

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