Former President Donald Trump makes significant adjustments to his campaign team, signaling a shift in strategy as he prepares for the upcoming election cycle.
As per recent polls that suggest a close competition between the Republican candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, ex-US president Donald Trump has recruited core members of his 2016 campaign team. He is currently intensively preparing for debates with former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard while entrusting his transition committee to be led by major donors and sons.
In a statement released on Thursday, campaign co-managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita announced that Corey Lewandowski will be assisting the Republican party in reclaiming control of the White House this November. As noted by Wiles and LaCivita, Lewandowski will have an experienced team working alongside him – including Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, Alex Bruesewitz, and Tim Murtaugh; all described as “veterans of prior Trump campaigns”.
The Trump campaign terminated Lewandowski’s employment just before the 2016 election based on claims of him inappropriately touching a female journalist. Despite this, he was eventually rehired four years later to oversee a fundraising committee associated with pro-Trump agendas; nevertheless, his conduct led to accusations of sexual impropriety and his subsequent dismissal once more in 2021.
The exact roles of Lewandowski and the four staffers in the upcoming campaign were not specified by Wiles and LaCivita. Trump, however, informed journalists on Thursday that either Lewandowski will serve as a “personal envoy” or occupy some other position within his team.
According to RealClearPolitics’ data, Harris and Trump are currently tied in most polls, with Harris having a margin of less than 1% over the former president. As rumors circulate that Trump is holding his campaign staff responsible for losing his previous four-point lead against President Joe Biden, he has sought assistance from ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as he prepares for an imminent debate against Harris – said The New York Times on Friday.
Gabbard, previously a US Representative and outspoken critic of the Democratic Party’s interventionist foreign policy, is lauded for putting an end to Harris’ bid for presidency in 2020 with just one impressive debate. During their face-off in 2019, Gabbard ruthlessly exposed Harris’ track record as California’s attorney general by drawing attention towards her punitive approach towards marijuana offenders – “jailing thousands…and then laughing about it”, her use of prison labor and suppression of evidence that could have exonerated wrongly accused death row inmates.
Harris was left without a response when Gabbard demanded that she apologize to the individuals who suffered during her time as prosecutor, stating unequivocally that there was no justification for it.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, confirmed that former president had a meeting with Gabbard. She stated that he does not require conventional preparation for debates but will still consult esteemed policy advisors and proficient communicators such as Tulsi Gabbard. Furthermore, she emphasized on how Gabbard triumphed over Kamala Harris in their debate encounter.
If Trump wins against Harris in November, his transition team will be spearheaded by Linda McMahon and businessman Howard Lutnick, who made the announcement on Friday. Both individuals have contributed significantly to Trump’s campaign funds. Alongside them on the team would be Donald Jr., Eric (Trump’s adult sons), running mate J.D Vance.
Usually several months prior to the election day, transition teams are appointed to aid presidential candidates in staffing their administrations.
