The New York Times reports that Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, best known for having battery charges pressed against him by Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields (charges that were later dropped) and for having a history of misogynistic behavior, has finally—some might say belatedly—been punted from the campaign.
From the Times:
“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 spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said in a statement. “The campaign is grateful to Corey for his hard work and dedication and we wish him the best in the future.”
Somewhat relatedly, in a GQ profile on spokeswoman Hope Hicks published today, former Trump advisor Sam Nunberg recalled Lewandowski berating Hicks when she initially declined a position with the campaign:
“He made her cry a bunch of times,” Nunberg said. In Nunberg’s telling, Lewandowski said to Hicks, “You made a big fucking mistake; you’re fucking dead to me.” Lewandowski declined to either confirm or correct Nunberg’s recollection. “I don’t recall the specifics of that,” he told me. “I can say definitively that I don’t recall the specific incident that you’re referring to.”
Although Hicks hasn’t commented beyond the statement given, other members of Team Trump are evidently thrilled by the news of Lewandowski’s departure:
Trump has been faltering in the polls against Clinton recently, and his standing within the Republican party has taken a significant dip following an ideological “pivot” that never came; 1,000 Republicans (delegates, alternates, and other supporters) dialed in to a call on Sunday night to discuss the possibility of unbinding delegates at the Republican National Convention in July.
According to the Times, however, Lewandowski’s exit may signal changes ahead for the campaign:
One person briefed on the moves, who asked not to be identified, said the campaign had long planned adjustments as it focused more on the needs of a general election campaign.
The person briefed on the change said that the campaign is now focusing on bringing the party together, including hiring new staff members and adjusting to the campaign’s needs for the race against Mrs. Clinton.
See ya.
UPDATE: A senior Trump staffer told New York Magazine that Lewandowski’s ouster was the result of a “coup” led by Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Trump, Jr. that took place at a regular strategy meeting on Monday morning, leaving top aide Paul Manafort—another great guy—with the full reins of the campaign.
Image via Associated Press.