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DONALD TRUMP ANNOUNCED today that he shaking up his senior campaign staff, appointing a conservative website executive and a pollster to head his team amid sinking poll numbers.
The Republican presidential nominee also announced that this week his campaign will launch TV ads for the first time.
Trump’s reluctance to buy TV spots has raised eyebrows as his unorthodox quest for the White House has run into trouble in recent weeks.
Stephen Bannon, executive chairman of the influential Breitbart News site, will serve as the campaign’s chief executive, the Trump campaign said in a statement.
Trump senior advisor Kellyanne Conway, a longtime Republican pollster, will become campaign manager.
Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman who in recent days has come under scrutiny for his links to the pro-Russia former president of Ukraine, will remain in his current role.
“I have known Steve and Kellyanne both for many years. They are extremely capable, highly qualified people who love to win and know how to win,” Trump said in the statement.
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.
’Core four’
Bannon will oversee campaign staff and operations and “strategic oversight of major campaign initiatives,” the statement said.
Conway will focus on “messaging”, regularly travelling with Trump while also working closely with Manafort and Bannon, the statement said.
The campaign said the changes come amid what it called significant growth for the Trump candidacy, “with the first major TV ad buy of the general election slated to start later this week and with additional top-flight operatives joining the movement on a near-daily basis”.
Conway denied the staff changes constitute a shake-up.
“It’s an expansion at a busy time in the final stretch of the campaign,” she told The New York Times.
“We met as the ‘core four’ today,” she was quoted as saying, referring to herself, Bannon, Manafort and Manafort’s deputy, Rick Gates.
With 82 days to go until the election, Trump’s campaign has been listing badly following a recent series of gaffes that had even members of his own party begging him to reel in his brash remarks.
Trump’s denigration of the family of a fallen Muslim-American soldier was seen by many as a monumental campaign misstep and a turning point in the contentious 2016 presidential race.
According to a NBC News/Survey Monkey poll released Tuesday, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton holds a six-point lead over Trump, 43% to his 37%, with two minor party candidates securing a combined 15%
In June, Trump dumped his then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who had been credited with the real estate magnate’s initial breakthrough in the primaries.
But in the lead-up to the Republican Party convention, Lewandowski found himself sidelined by more experienced political operatives like Manafort.
Lewandowski had also attracted distracting controversy following a run-in with a Breitbart News reporter at a Trump rally who accused him of roughly grabbing her arm.
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Boycott
@Joe Soap: I fully agree with u. But I’m afraid no country has the balls to stand up to him
@Joe Soap: Not as easy as would think. Sure can cut out their fast food places, but those are almost all franchises ran here with a lot of employees.
Not so easy to avoid the big conglomerates who’s many many brands make much of what would go into food cupboard, cleaning closet or bathroom. If factor in others that have significant USA ownership, then are talking about hundreds of common brands names.
@John Flanagan: They already have and will, the spent the intervening time coordinating their plans!
They are not going to let him take over the world.
You know what. How have we left this dictator get to where he can decide I’ll send a letter to a total sovereign independent nation to say I’ve decided this is how much your country is going to have to pay in tariffs. Are we that weak a continent and a world that we let this low low life dictate. Thank god I will not be around to see the outcome all this has on the USA and the world. Because it will be devisitating.
@John Flanagan: The EU has already outlined likely reciprocal tariffs. Tariffs are a two way street
@Mick Duvanny: it’s not the tariffs my friend. It’s the idea that USA and law breaker Trump thinks he can do what he likes. And the world let’s him.
@John Flanagan: It’s not about the world letting him,they as an equal sovereign state can impose tariffs if they wish to do so but are stupid enough not to understand that it will hurt them as much as the rest of us.
@John Flanagan: the world shouldn’t permit a sovereign state to set their own trading terms with others because other countries are also sovereign states. Would that be a fair summary of the nonsense you’re spouting?
@George Bowling: no it would not be. And your solution is.
@John Flanagan: my solution to a sovereign country exercising its own sovereignty? I didn’t think that needed a solution myself tbh, but historically the only practical solution to such inconveniences has been invasion. Should we invade the US John, would that be a reasonable solution to the issue of a country’s sovereignty that’s clearly concerning you so much?
@John Flanagan: Tariffs are paid by the American consumer, not by the exporting country.
@John Flanagan: Whatever he claims, it is not our country that will be paying the tariff but the (mostly) American importers of the products. That will mean fewer exports but we don’t pay 1c of his tariffs.
@George Bowling: The way he is using tariffs is completely wrong, it is a weapon to attack other countries and penguins!
Tariffs are supposed to protect your country from unfair tactics used by other countries.
He things VAT is a tariff.
They are supposed to be used with precision not like he uses it, a wrecking ball.
@John Flanagan:
When will Europe and other countries be sending their letters to him informing him of their tariff changes ?
we need to get out of EU set our own deals as Ireland is now dumping ground for illegal immigrants from EU via UK , Ireland is a mess under fffg an general election now
@jn: ahhhh bit too late now my friend. We voted this government in. Because we believed there propaganda. And we are stuck with it for 5 long long years. We reep what we sow. Same as USA.
@jn: off you go then pal. Get out of eu
@jn: All political parties(except for the hard right)are on the same hymn sheet in regards to immigration,What would a general election change.Also u.k. left the eu and their immigration has gone up.
@John Paul: why would you even try to explain anything to the russian bot?
@jn: @jn: You’ll find that you will receive little to no actual support for that nonsense in the real world. Maybe online, from the bots and cave trolls but not by actual humans. We’re not Americans, who are clearly easily manipulated. Off you go now, ya little scamp :)
@jn: What will a general election achieve? Tell us what is the alternative to a coalition between two of the larger parties?
@jn: The entire EU is under similar pressures over illegal immigrants.
@John Paul: Illegal immigration is a problem in the entire first and second world country’s, trying to blame it on a party or a political belief is sad to see.
The guardian reporting that the EU will happily agree to a ten percent blanket tariff, so long as the 25% tariff on cars drop as that is hurting the German car industry.
That is the EU in a nutshell. If anyone thinks we’re stronger together, they’re deluded.
The EU is a cheap shell game, where Germany, France and to a lesser extent Italy call the shots.
Trade deals revolve around getting cheap beef etc into Europe (harming Ireland) while getting tariff free access for cars and wine into other countries. Don’t know about any of you but don’t see either of those industries flourishing here.
We’ve been told all our lives how great the EU is to us.
We’ve lost more on fishing rights in the last 52 years that we have ever come close to in grants the other direction.
The EU singled us and out during the recession, making us take on the debt of irresponsible gamblers from mainland Europe. This went against even what the hawkish IMF would do.
This trade deal will screw us more than mainland Europe. Again.
@James Groden: A larger share of the catch in Irish waters goes to Irish fishers now that it did before we joined the EU. Anyway, fishing is a small industry here and in the UK, and largely symbolic.
The Guardian report does not use the word ‘happily’. Trade deals are a two-way thing, and only so much can be achieved when dealing with a loose cannon like Trump.
If you think we’d be stronger and more economically secure outside the EU, you are deluded. But then, if I remember correctly, you’re a supporter of Putin. Say no more.
@Brendan O’Brien: supporter of Putin? I don’t particularly care for the lad to be honest.
Even if I did, it makes no difference to my argument here. Sure sign you’ve already lost the argument when you have to go there.
Landlocked countries in Europe have a greater total allowable catch in our fishing grounds than we do.
The reason fishing wasn’t developed properly here is because of the EU. It should be a massive industry but it was sold out in the hope that agriculture would develop more.
We have well over 20% of EU waters with less than 1% of the TAC. That’s a reality Brendan.
And you failed to address the shafting of Ireland by the EU during the banking crisis.
I grew up believing hugely in the European project. In the last few years, I’ve seen what they’re about. Warmongers supporting israel and destroying small farms.
But hey, I guess that makes me a Putin bot?
@James Groden: Funny you go on about fish, as pointing out all you mistakes would be like “shooting fish in a barrel”.
I will leave you in your state of bliss.
I am sure others will tell you where you are completely and utterly wrong in what you posed, even more than already have!
No matter what way this ends up, Chump will claim a victory and belittle any country that strikes a deal with him
Is there one photo of him where he doesn’t look like a gurning ignoramus?
@Setanta O’Toole: The choice of photos is highly political.
@thomas molloy: is his industrial combover and diving into a vat of fake tan every morning political too?
@Setanta O’Toole: Ahahahahaha…good one! “Industrial combover”…brilliant!
@thomas molloy: Actually all his photos are terrible!
@Setanta O’Toole:
No. He is more than a bit touched.
Be realistic the same Irish based political class waste will back the EU over Irish peoples needs as we have seen in the 2008 financial crash and the arrival of the Troika.
@Ailbhe MacThomais: What was the alternative during the financial crisis? Allowing the banks to fail would have been worse for the country.
@Vincent Alexander: not paying junior note holders would not have resulted in any banks failing, but the ECB forced the state to adopt unsecured, private debts.
@Vincent Alexander: Banks fail would have annoyed the political class only. Iceland let its banks fail
@Ailbhe MacThomais: And paid the price, but they are a much smaller country with smaller problems. Our problems would have been catastrophic for all the country!
Trump, the American president who has blood on his hands in supporting Israel and failed in his support for Ukraine
Trump Always Chicken Out.
Do you worst, Donald. And by ‘worst’ I mean the combination of witlessness and belligerence that you have trademarked.
Ooo it’s exciting. Drumpf…when you see what he’s willing to do to his own people (big ugly bill), concentration camps for undesirables and his own ss (ICE), and betraying Ukraine / Palestine it’s starting to look like the States needs breaking into pieces…it’s a murderous monster. Blue
@ProtectKyiv:
100%.
You wanted a dictator you got him live with it.
I’ll set a timer for this time next week when he pussys out of this threat as usual.
We have VAT in Europe on any goods we purchase so something similar in the States would nake sense.
If he were to impose something similar and use this money for free health care he would have the backing of most Americans.
@martin lawlor: most states have sales taxes up to 16 percent
@John Lyons: No John, the ceiling is 16%, very misleading quote.
Louisiana has the highest at 10.25%.
Most are between 2.5% and 7.5%
Has anyone in the EU got any cajones to tell him what he can do with these tariffs
Governments don’t export goods and don’t pay tariffs. Importers pay tariffs and usually pass them on the consumers. Trump couldn’t be left in charge of an abacus be cause he might hurt himself.
Cajones mean box
Cojones mean balls
have your say