Trump's new campaign manager vows to let Trump be Trump
'We're going to sharpen the message,' Kellyanne Conway says.
The woman in charge of running Donald Trump's campaign wants to let Trump be Trump, but in a more disciplined way.
Kellyanne Conway, a Republican pollster and longtime Trump associate who was elevated to be his campaign manager this week, indicated Thursday in separate television interviews that under her guidance, the campaign will be more focused with its messaging while still allowing the boisterous former reality TV star and businessman to be "comfortable being in his own skin."
"What I would like him to do is let everyone get the benefit of his leadership. He scores very well in strong leader, and that's what so many Americans are starving for," Conway told CNN's Alisyn Camerota during a lengthy two-part interview on "New Day."
When Trump is able to give a speech "in his own words, in his own delivery system, then people can actually focus on the content," Conway remarked, adding, "I think that's what's so important."
Trump has repeatedly bucked calls to rein in the kind of brash, aggressive rhetoric that has made even Republicans uncomfortable, though he has delivered several scripted policy speeches in recent weeks. “I am who I am. It’s me,” he told a Wisconsin TV station on Tuesday. “I don’t wanna change. Everybody talks about, ‘Oh well, you’re gonna pivot, you’re gonna’ — I don’t wanna pivot. I mean, you have to be you. If you start pivoting, you’re not being honest with people.”
Conway suggested in Thursday's interviews that the media was to blame for how Trump's rhetoric has been perceived. "If we're going to cover campaigns as comedy shows … or no content, no substance, I think we're doing a disservice to the voters," she told CNN. "When people talk about a pivot, Alisyn, most of the advice he receives, whether it's on TV or in person, is pivoting stylistically. But substantively, the issues, that benefits Donald Trump."
Accounting for what will be different about the campaign in the weeks ahead, Conway said, "we're going to sharpen the message."
"And we're going to make sure Donald Trump is comfortable about being in his own skin, that he doesn't lose that authenticity that you simply can't buy and a pollster can't give you. And voters know if you're comfortable in your own skin," she continued. "And let him be him in this sense: He wants to deliver the speech, if he wants to go to a rally, if he wants to connect with the crowd in a way that's very spontaneous, that's wonderful. And that's how he got here. That's how he became the nominee in large part, Alisyn. But at the same time, we have some really serious, pressing problems in this country that I'm hoping will start to be addressed more by the media."
New campaign manager: Trump 'finding joy in the campaign trail'
New campaign manager: Trump 'finding joy in the campaign trail'
By Nick Gass
Trump delivered a speech on economic issues last week in Detroit, followed up by separate speeches on national security in Ohio and Michigan on Monday and Tuesday, as well as a campaign-rally address focused on law and order in Wisconsin. Conway exclaimed that she is "thrilled we've gotten so much coverage this week just on the first two speeches."
"You'll see more of those," Conway promised. "Next week is immigration week followed by education week. And we’re really excited about that."
Conway played up the campaign's first general election ad buys set to start running later this week in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. She also revealed that the campaign will begin debate prep this weekend, though she would not say who would be playing the role of Hillary Clinton, only that "it's actually a wonderful choice."
"And I think he'll be very happy with the choice. I won't say it because it's private and confidential," she said, smiling. "And we have many people who are willing to help."
On both CNN and on the set of "CBS This Morning," Conway noted that Trump made no mention of her being a woman as reason for her promotion.
"I'm told I'm the first female Republican campaign manager in presidential political history and that tells you a lot about Donald Trump. It also tells you a great deal about him he never said that to me—'hey, we'd like a woman, are you available?'" she remarked, responding specifically on CBS to a question about what Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whom Conway supported in the primaries, does not know about Trump. "I'm there based on merit, but I think it's symptomatic of who Donald Trump has been in his own corporation elevating and promoting women."
She also sought to dampen criticism of Trump's new campaign CEO Stephen Bannon, who took a leave of absence from leading the far-right conservative Breitbart News empire.
Seated across from Conway on set, CNN's Camerota read a list of headlines from the website under Bannon, including "There’s No Hiring Bias Against Women In Tech, They Just Suck At Interviews," "Sympathy for the Devils: The Plot Against Roger Ailes — and America," "Big Trans Hate Machine Targets Pitching Great Curt Schilling" and "Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy."
"So I haven't read those stories," Conway conceded, while adding, "but I can tell you the man is a brilliant tactician. He has a long history of, I think, being unafraid. I'll tell you what Donald Trump needs. He needs people who are like him in this sense: You have to be unapologetically, unflinchingly unafraid of Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton and all that Clinton campaign means. Because we feel like we're up against a major machine here. And we -- you know, you need people girded for battle, who are at least willing to leave it all on the field, give it our best shot."
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The Battleground Project
Trump's shrinking electoral map
By Steven Shepard
Most reports of Trump's campaign shakeup have seen the moves as a downgrade for his embattled chair Paul Manafort, who has faced a number of damaging reports in recent days about his links to pro-Russian figures in Ukraine. Trump has not yet defended Manafort -- and while the campaign has said he's staying, it hasn't publicly clarified who now reports to whom. Asked on CBS who has the final word, Conway said, “I'd say it is a combination of us. Trump has made it very clear who it is .”
Perhaps alluding to recent reports that have described the nominee as sullen and erratic behind closed doors, Conway took pains on both programs to emphasize that "Mr. Trump is finding joy in the campaign trail."
"I'm confident that he is finding joy on the job this week and he relishes being out there with the crowds and giving these speeches," whether as a scripted speech or in a rally setting, Conway told CBS. "And you don't see on the camera is also the local interviews, the meetings with families and other folks."
While expressing confidence that Trump could remain on message, Conway added, "But also the message has to be one of substance and it has to be about issues."
"I'd rather lose a campaign where we put it all on the field substantively, where people saw the difference on the major issues of the day than when a campaign [is] based on style. If this is about style, he can go back to 'The Apprentice.' That was fun and successful and lucrative for him," Conway said. "But it’s not about style."
