Donald Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort has stepped down from his role at the head of Trump-Pence 2016.
The move follows the introduction of Stephen Bannon as CEO of the campaign, and Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager.
Manafort’s resignation appears to suggest confusion within the Trump camp, as just two days ago Manafort himself sent a memo to all staffers insisting that he would remain in charge of “providing the big-picture and long-range campaign vision.”
The Republican nominee confirmed Manafort’s decision via a public statement today.
.@realDonaldTrump's statement on Paul Manafort resignation. pic.twitter.com/ctBaTopbUJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 19, 2016
Manafort has attracted controversy for his former ties to dictators across the world, and Ukranian politicians who are connected to Vladimir Putin. He is the second campaign chairman to have left the Trump campaign, having taken over from Corey Lewandowski just months ago.
This shake-up follows a clear attempt from Trump to pivot into a more moderate space, as he last night apologised for any personal insults he had made over the course of his campaign.
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