Trump replaces campaign manager four months before election

US

Donald Trump has replaced his campaign manager Brad Parscale with veteran republican Bill Stepien four months before the US election.

Mr Parscale was Mr Trump’s digital media manager during his 2016 election campaign and was promoted to campaign manager in 2018.

Despite being widely credited with helping bring about his surprise victory four years ago, the 44-year-old has now been demoted to his previous “digital and data strategies role”, the president said on Twitter.

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Mr Parscale has been blamed for the poor turnout at the Trump comeback rally in Tulsa

He wrote on Wednesday night: “I am pleased to announce that Bill Stepien has been promoted to the role of Trump Campaign Manager.

“Brad Parscale, who has been with me for a very long time and has led our tremendous digital and data strategies, will remain in that role, while being a Senior Adviser to the campaign.

“Both were heavily involved in our historic 2016 win, and I look forward to having a big and very important second win together.”

Mr Parscale had been increasingly sidelined in recent weeks, with the president unimpressed by the publicity he had in the role.

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But his comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month appears to have been the final straw when just 6,200 people turned up amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The then-campaign manager had bragged a million people had requested tickets, leaving the president furious.

Poll numbers have also taken a hit over Mr Trump’s handling of the US COVID-19 outbreak, which has killed more than 135,000 people and left 40 million without jobs.

Unlike his predecessor, Mr Stepien has been in politics for years and is a veteran Republican.

He worked for former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and served as Mr Trump’s national field director in 2016.

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Last month, Mr Trump promoted him to deputy campaign manager and brought back his former communications chief Jason Miller, taking away influence from Mr Parscale.

Although it comes just four months before the vote, the reshuffle is not expected to affect the day-to-day running of the campaign, with his son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner ultimately in charge.

In 2016, shake ups became a feature of Mr Trump’s election trail, with the president now on his fifth campaign manager in four years.

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