Donald Trump’s campaign reboot has many questioning what side of side Trump voters will see on the campaign trail between now and the general election.
On Friday, Paul Manafort resigned as chairman. Insiders tell NBC News Trump and Manafort did not see eye-to-eye and would sometimes have shouting matches.
Manafort’s resignation comes after Trump reshuffled his campaign, essentially demoting Manafort. New hires include Steven Bannon, executive chairman of the conservative website Breitbart news, as Trump’s new campaign CEO, and elevating pollster and senior adviser Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager.
Marquette pollster Charles Franklin says Donald Trump has shown he is committed to winning the presidency through the Midwest despite being behind Hillary Clinton in the polls. Franklin says it is unclear what path the campaign will take under new top advisors.
"Whether you think the path to the presidency is through the Midwest, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, is something the campaign has struggled with, but seems committed to coming here,” said Charles Franklin. “Whether that strategy remains in place after Manafort leaves, I think we just have to wait and see," said Franklin.
On Thursday night the real estate mogul was restrained and apologetic. It’s a Trump like never seen before and is yet to be seen whether he carries that same tone throughout the rest of the campaign trail.
“I can't tell whether the difference in tone this week is the last of Manafort or the first of the leadership of the campaign,” said Franklin.
WTMJ radio host Charles Sykes believe Manafort’s resignation means Trump is rebooting his campaign with people who do feel Trump’s unapologetic tone will carry him to the White House.
“Paul Manafort was the guy that was trying to tell Donald Trump this is what you gotta do to professionalize your campaign,” said Sykes. “He’s also brought in the people that I would describe as the enablers. People that are telling him, ‘you keep doing what you’re doing, hitting them in the mouth. You go back to doing what you were doing in the primary,” said Sykes.
