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Donald Trump shook up his presidential campaign Monday with an announcement that his controversial campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, is out. USA TODAY
Corey Lewandowski speaks to the media at Trump Tower on May 3, 2016, in New York.(Photo: Spencer Platt, Getty Images)
Corey Lewandowski, the controversial political operative who directed Donald Trump's presidential bid since its launch a year ago, is out as the billionaire's campaign manager.
“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,” spokeswoman Hope Hicks said.
“The campaign is grateful to Corey for his hard work and dedication and we wish him the best in the future," she<span style="color: Red;">*</span>added.
The New York Times,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>which first reported the news, cited<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a unnamed person<span style="color: Red;">*</span>briefed on the move who<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the campaign "had long planned adjustments to adjust to the needs of a general election campaign."
Trump, who has been slipping in polls in recent weeks in his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton, was scheduled to meet with aides Monday about future campaign plans amid rising Republican anxiety.
"Firing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>your campaign manager in June is never a good sign," said Republican political consultant Kevin Madden after the announcement.
Lewandowski<span style="color: Red;">*</span>helped<span style="color: Red;">*</span>engineer the businessman's unprecedented run toward the Republican presidential nomination. He was spotted at the presumptive nominee's side during last week's nationwide tour.
Republicans have long questioned the direction of the Trump campaign, and reports have emerged of fundraising troubles and staff<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in-fighting. A number of prominent members of the GOP have said they will not vote for the businessman in November, and other Republicans have declined to outright endorse their party's presumptive nominee.
While directing Trump's presidential effort,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Lewandowski<span style="color: Red;">*</span>clashed repeatedly with reporters and other campaign officials, including senior adviser Paul Manafort.
A Florida police department investigated Lewandowski in March after a reporter from Breitbart News accused him of assault for grabbing her arm following<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a Trump news conference. The campaign manager was charged with simple battery, but the state declined to prosecute the case.
The reporter involved in that incident, Michelle Fields, tweeted after Monday's announcement:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Hey @CLewandowski_ I hear @BreitbartNews is hiring." (Fields left Breitbart in protest of the way the news organization handled the incident.)
At that time, Trump resisted calls to dismiss Lewandowski.
"I don't discard people," Trump said in March.<span style="color: Red;">*</span><span style="color: Red;">*</span>"I stay with people."
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