Seeking to shore up his stumbling campaign, Donald Trump has announced a major shake-up, bringing in two prominent conservative figures amid poor opinion poll numbers.
Stephen Bannon, a former banker who runs the influential conservative outlet Breitbart News and is known for his fiercely anti-establishment politics, has been named the Trump campaign’s chief executive.
Kellyanne Conway, a veteran Republican pollster who has been close to Trump for years, will assume the role of campaign manager.
The campaign announced the moves in a statement on Wednesday. It said the moves were “designed to bolster the business-like approach of Mr. Trump’s campaign.”
It noted campaign chairman Paul Manafort will stay on in his current position.
Trump’s stunning decision, just 12 weeks ahead of the presidential election, effectively ends the months-long Manafort’s push to moderate Trump’s presentation and pitch for the general election.
It is now clear that the billionaire businessman intends to finish this race on his own terms, with friends who share his approach to issues.
Trump himself called Bannon and Conway “extremely capable, highly qualified people who love to win and know how to win.”
“I believe we’re adding some of the best talents in politics, with the experience and expertise needed to defeat Hillary Clinton in November and continue to share my message and vision to Make America Great Again,” he added in the statement.
“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 out financial and physical security.”
Bannon has no campaign experience but has been informally advising some in the campaign for several months, according to Politico.
The shake-up comes after a series of bad news cycles for Trump, who has fallen behind Clinton, the Democratic nominee, both nationally and in key battleground states.
Over the past several weeks, Trump has faced criticism for attacking the Muslim parents of US Army captain killed in the Iraq War, as well as for saying “Second Amendment people” could prevent Clinton from appointing liberal justice to the Supreme Court and calling President Obama the “founder” of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
On the other hand, the campaign style and substance could affect Republicans, with some analysts saying it could even cost the GOP the Senate and putting the House majority at risk.
