Donald Trump presidential campaign staff tensions, 2016
Donald Trump's presidential campaign staff was, at times, more in the spotlight than the candidate himself. After Trump earned the status of frontrunner, and then presumptive nominee, staffing tensions often moved from behind the scenes to out in the open. Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was the subject of media scrutiny after his involvement in an altercation with reporter Michelle Fields. Shortly after the incident, Trump hired Paul Manafort as convention manager—in an effort to secure delegates for a possible contested convention—and subsequently increased his profile in the campaign staff.
These tensions between top staff were also part of the larger conversation about Trump's management style. Speaking to The New York Times, former advisor Sam Nunberg, who was fired in 2015, said, "He certainly does love playing people against each other, but in my experience he knew how to make me reach my potential. ... You become very committed in that environment."[1] Similarly, in May 2016, The Associated Press reported, "Trump's penchant for encouraging rivalries is now roiling his Republican presidential campaign as he plunges into the general election."[2]
The following outlines the basic terms of the campaign tensions between Lewandowski and Manafort as well as how these tensions were covered in the media.
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Background
Corey Lewandowski altercation with reporter
One beginning point for understanding the staff tensions on Trump's campaign is the altercation between campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields. The incident put Lewandowski in the spotlight and attracted attention to the campaign staff, with one group of 16 female media personalities calling for Lewandowski's resignation.[3] During and after the incident, Lewandowski's leadership was widely scrutinized throughout the media.
| Details |
| On March 9, 2016, according to Politico, Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski "forcibly yanked Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields out of [Trump's] way after his press conference in Florida."[4] Lewandowski and the Trump campaign then accused Fields of fabricating the event. Fields, Washington Post reporter Ben Terris and Daily Caller editor Jamie Weinstein claimed to have seen the altercation. Fields filed a police report against Lewandowski on March 11, 2016.[5] On March 29, Jupiter, Florida, police charged Lewandowski with simple battery.[6] On April 13, it was reported that the state attorney had decided to not prosecute Lewandowski on the charges.[7] |
Paul Manafort hired
On March 28, 2016, Donald Trump hired Paul Manafort as his convention manager, according to The New York Times.[8] By April 7, 2016, according to Politico, Trump had officially expanded Manafort's duties, and on May 19, 2016, Manafort was promoted to the role of campaign chairman and chief strategist.[9][10] ABC News, citing campaign sources, noted that "Manafort’s new role is a natural growth of the campaign as they begin to build a team ready for the general election."[11]
| Details |
| According to a statement from Hope Hicks, the campaign's spokesperson, Manafort's title change was a matter of "putting permanence" to his role.[10] Hicks also noted that campaign manager Corey Lewandowski would "continue overseeing day to day operations and [would] work with Manafort on political strategy and communications, among other things, through the general election."[12] |
Struggles for leadership
Manafort and Lewandowski differences in messaging
Manafort's hiring, seen in the press as a demotion for Lewandowski, began a series of disputes within the Trump campaign over who would direct the campaign's strategy and personnel decisions. CBS News reported that Lewandowski had been diminished "to a role that amounts to body man and scheduler."[13] Manafort was authorized to hire Rick Wiley, former campaign manager for Scott Walker, as well as Ken McKay, former Chris Christie campaign manager. Manafort also began working with Trump to include more policy speeches and the use of teleprompters and speechwriters.[14] These moves led Politico to report in April that Manafort was "consolidating his own power within Trump’s campaign, gaining influence with the candidate and exerting authority over those who had previously reported to campaign manager Corey Lewandowski."[15]
Lewandowski and Hope Hicks argument
The most visible campaign tension came on May 19, 2016, just before Manafort was announced as campaign chair and chief strategist. The New York Post reported that Lewandowski and Hope Hicks were seen shouting at one another in the street. One witness to the fight told the paper, "Hope was screaming at Corey, ‘I am done with you!’ It was ugly, she was doubled over with her fists clenched. He stood there looking shocked with his hands on his head." A source within the campaign claimed that the argument was "a continuation of a discussion about when the announcement [of Manafort's promotion] would go out."[16]
| Details |
| According to Politico, the story was leaked to the paper by former Trump staffer and Roger Stone associate Sam Nunberg, who "asked an associate to relay information about the exchange to the Post, which relied on a witness who quoted Hicks screaming at Lewandowski."[17] Nunberg and Stone, a former Trump campaign advisor, had been critical of Lewandowski as campaign manager; Stone had said that Lewandowski had "oversold his role" in the campaign. |
Separation of Lewandowski and Manafort
On May 24, 2016, New York Magazine cited three campaign "insiders" who said that Manafort and Lewandowski had been given offices on separate floors of Trump Tower. Lewandowski's office would remain on the fifth floor in the unfinished office spaces occupied by the campaign during the primary contests, while Manafort reportedly moved to a renovated space on the fourteenth floor. The article cited Lewandowski's role as head of the vice presidential search as one factor for the move, saying, "Manafort's side, according to sources, was furious after the Washington Post reported on May 10 that Trump had tapped Lewandowski to oversee the vice presidential search. Manafort used the article as leverage with Trump in getting a recent promotion to the role of campaign chairman and chief strategist, according to two insiders."[18]
The two campaign operatives were also separated by assignment. On June 6, an MSNBC article reported, "While Manafort handles every aspect of the campaign outside of travel and communications ... Lewandowski and Hicks actually join Trump on the road and have his ear on a moment-to-moment basis. [MSNBC's campaign source] described the two as determined to block Trump from voices that might undermine their control, which has made hiring new senior staffers difficult despite the obvious need."[19]
Lewandowski dismissal from campaign
On June 20, 2016, The New York Times reported that Lewandowski had been dismissed as campaign manager. The campaign's spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, stated that "The Donald J. Trump Campaign for President, which has set a historic record in the Republican primary having received almost 14 million votes, has today announced that Corey Lewandowski will no longer be working with the campaign. The campaign is grateful to Corey for his hard work and dedication and we wish him the best in the future." The dismissal, according to the Times, was part of the campaign's transition toward the general election.[20]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "Donald Trump’s Campaign Stumbles as It Tries to Go Big," May 27, 2016
- ↑ U.S. News and World Report, "In business and politics, Trump stokes internal rivalries," May 28, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Female media figures call for Trump to fire Lewandowski," March 30, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Trump campaign manager gets rough with Breitbart reporter," March 9, 2016
- ↑ Independent Journal, "EXCLUSIVE: Reporter Files Police Report Against Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski," March 11, 2016
- ↑ CNBC, "Trump campaign manager arrested, charged with battery of reporter," March 29, 2016
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednotprosecute - ↑ New York Times, "Donald Trump Hires Paul Manafort to Lead Delegate Effort," March 28, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Trump expands role for delegate-focused adviser," April 7, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Washington Post, "Veteran strategist Paul Manafort becomes Trump’s campaign chairman," May 19, 2016
- ↑ ABC News, "Trump Campaign Announces Expanded Role For Paul Manafort," May 19, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Manafort to get bigger role in Trump campaign: report," May 19, 2016
- ↑ CBS News, "Donald Trump reorganizes campaign just before big state primaries," April 18, 2016
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Donald Trump Plans to Adopt More-Traditional Campaign Tactics," April 20, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Donald Trump shuffles struggling campaign team," April 13, 2016
- ↑ New York Post, "Trump campaign staffers get into public screaming match," May 19, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Trump campaign rift gets personal," May 25, 2016
- ↑ New York Magazine, "Trump Campaign’s New Office Plan Will Keep Paul Manafort and Corey Lewandowski Away From Each Other," May 24, 2016
- ↑ MSNBC, "Donald Trump does not have a campaign," June 6, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Donald Trump Parts Ways With Corey Lewandowski, His Campaign Manager," June 20, 2016
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