Donald Trump marked the relaunch of his struggling presidential campaign with a shock new tactic: an apology.
“Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing,” he told a rally in North Carolina on Thursday night. “I have done that. And, believe it or not, I regret it. I do regret it. Particularly where it may have caused personal pain.”
The remarks, during Trump’s first public appearance since the appointment of a new campaign manager, are a sharp reversal of an approach that seemed to follow the adage “never retract, never explain, never apologise”.
“I like not to regret anything,” the candidate previously told radio host Don Imus in May after controversy over comments that questioned senator John McCain’s war record. “You do things and you say things. And what I said, frankly, is what I said.”
Many more such controversies have passed without regret since, but Trump’s closely watched standing in opinion polls has plummeted after he last month attacked the parents of a Muslim war hero who died serving in the US army.
On Thursday he appeared to acknowledge for the first time the damage such incidents were doing to his election standing, though did not specify which precise “personal pain” he was responding to.
“Too much is at stake for us to be consumed by these issues,” he told the unusually subdued crowd at the Charlotte convention center.
“As you know I am not a politician,” he added, to initial cheers. “I have never wanted to learn the language of the insiders, and I’ve never been politically correct – it takes far too much time, and can often make it more difficult to achieve total victory.”
The rally, which began with a long tribute to victims of flooding in Louisiana, was also unusual for relying entirely on a teleprompter. Previously the campaign’s use of prepared remarks has mostly tended to be reserved for formal policy addresses, rather than standard stump speeches at rallies.
Often stiff, the sight of Trump reading out lines rather than ad-libbing seemed to perplex a crowd not used to hearing him saying phrases such as: “I’ve travelled all across this country laying out my bold and modern agenda for change.”
The campaign for his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, dismissed Trump’s professed change of heart. “Donald Trump literally started his campaign by insulting people,” her campaign said. “We learned tonight that his speechwriter and teleprompter knows he has much for which he should apologize.”
“But that apology tonight is simply a well-written phrase until he tells us which of his many offensive, bullying and divisive comments he regrets – and changes his tune altogether.”
The use of a teleprompter was also out of keeping with expectations that this week’s appointment of outspoken Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon to take overall charge of the campaign would immediately mark a more “gloves-off” approach.
Instead, it appears part of the team’s new strategy is to attempt to draw a line under past controversies before trying to shift attention onto Clinton campaign weaknesses instead.
Aides watching the speech were pleased with its disciplined timing and suggested the influence of veteran pollster Kellyanne Conway, who was promoted to become campaign manager on Wednesday, would begin to make a difference to the tone. She is thought to be the most senior official now traveling regularly with Trump.
Yet Kirk Bell, communications director for North Carolina, denied he was disappointed with the turnout in Charlotte, which filled less than half of a venue the size of which was often packed before July’s national convention. “We got over 5,500. We feel pretty good about that,” he told the Guardian.
The newly contrite Trump did not seem to affect the behaviour of some of those supporters who did attend.
One man sparked complaints from several reporters after he individually photographed many of those sitting inside a penned-off media area at close range. Trump has been particular critical of the media’s coverage of his campaign and often appears to incite supporters to criticise alleged bias against him.
Other supporters continued to direct fierce anger toward Clinton. “She’s the anti-Christ,” one woman remonstrated with the media pen. “Chelsea isn’t Bill’s daughter,” insisted another. “He had mumps, he’s sterile.”
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Random quotes of “lock her up!” punctuated the night much as they did during the Republican convention.
But many supporters seemed to welcome the change of tack from Trump.
“I would like him to say ‘yes, I’m a smart ass’ and ‘yes, I say what’s on my mind but I hope what comes out of my mouth doesn’t take away what I’m really fighting for’,” said Christy Cranston of Charlotte. “I have never heard him say anything that was directly racist or against women. They were like comebacks for someone attacking him first.”
“He’s got to stop that,” added her husband, Chris, a self-employed flooring contractor. “The schoolyard semantics has got to end. He won’t lose my vote, but he’s gonna lose the fringe voter.”
Don Mcsheehan, a home remodeling contractor from Midland, North Carolina, agreed, but favoured only superficial restraint. “Him being himself is fine. Especially with me. What Trump has to sell is genuineness and if he becomes politically correct and canned and not off-the-cuff, he will lose touch with his base,” said the 49-year-old.
“I think he’s doing well considering he has got the whole US media against him. He’s at a 99% disadvantage. It’s good that he’s constantly in the news, but they are constantly berating him,” he concluded. “If he would learn to temper what he says just by 5% and let what is happening to Hillary get out there, he’ll be fine.”Thanks for reading.
Paul Manafort resigns as chairman of Donald Trump campaign
Donald Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort has resigned, in the latest convulsion to sweep a candidacy reeling from poor poll numbers and self-inflicted controversy.
Within hours of Trump apologising for “pain” he had caused with outspoken remarks on the trail and a reshuffle that brought in a new team above him in New York, the veteran political strategist announced he would be leaving the campaign entirely.
Manafort however was also under mounting scrutiny of his own as more details emerged of his role in advising foreign politicians, including Ukrainian strongman Viktor Yanukovych.
His departure clears the way for Breitbart News executive Steve Dannon to assume full control of day-to-day operations, after he was appointed chief executive alongside new campaign manager Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday.
The resignation, which contradicts claims he would stay on earlier in the week, is the second moment Trump has exercised is famed slogan “your fired” – following the ousting of his original campaign manager Corey Lewanadowski in
Lewandowski is now thought to likely to make a comeback within the constantly shifting Trump inner circle as he shares much of the same approach to “letting Trump be Trump” as Dannon is believed to favour.
At the first public event since the reshuffle in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, a personal wifi hotspot belonging to “Corey” could be seen among the small list of online identities present.
The rally was dominated however by a surprise change of tack for Trump, who said for the first time that he “regretted” misspeaking in the past and acknowledged his behaviour may be eclipsing the campaign’s core message.
It suggests Conway and Dannon may be attempting to use the reshuffle to draw a line under a summer of controversy and relaunch the campaign with a focus more squarely on attacking Hillary Clinton rather than defending its past behaviour.
Manafort had been brought in to replace Lewandowski with the blessing of senior figures within the Republican establishment who regarded him as a safe pair of hands who could help professionalise the campaign.
However, his close connections to Russia, at a time when Trump is trying to criticise Clinton for taking money from foreign donors for the family foundation, were proving a growing problem.
Trump is also felt to have felt increasingly surrounded by party operatives who do did not share his anti-establishment brand of politics and, as polls plunged, the 67-year-old Washington consultant proved yet another lightning rod for a tempestuous campaign.
In a statement Trump suggested he role had peaked as an adviser during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where rival Ted Cruz had threatened to lead a revolt, but this time, offered no regret for the departure.
“This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign,” said a statement from the Trump campaign issued on Friday morning. “I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process. Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success.”
The Trump camp insisted that the hiring/promotion was neither the “shakeup” everyone said it was, nor a demotion for Manafort.
Manafort has been the subject in the last two weeks of multiple reports exploring his work as a lobbyist for a pro-Kremlin political party in Ukraine, work that the Associated Press reported extended to stealth donations to US lobbying firms – illegal under federal law.
‘Missing N33trn’: PDP Rubbishes Oyegun’s Claim
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), John Oyegun over his allegation that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration siphoned the sum of N33trillion from the country’s coffer. According to the PDP director of new media, Deji Adeyanju, the Jonathan administration never even had a budget that was as high as N33trn. He said, the total budget under the Jonathan for five years was only 22 trillion, so there couldn’t have been any case of N33trn. “Oyegun says N33trn was unaccounted for under Jonathan, but total budget for 5 years under GEJ was about N22trn.” he said.
Adeyanju went all out to mock the APC chairman by wondering how the Jonathan administration was able to manage the economy and carry out landmark infrastructural developments like the Kaduna-Abuja Rail, which the APC completed if more than its entire budget was missing. Thanks for reading.
Omotola Jalade Reveals How ‘Alter Ego’ Took Her Beyond Nollywood Level
Actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has revealed how her new project ‘Alter Ego’ took her beyond the ordinary Nollywood level.
According to her, she got tired of the whole Nollywood thing, citing that she needed that project that would really allow her explore more.
“For a very long time, I couldn’t find a script that has a good appeal, it got to a point in Nollywood and in film making that when i got out of the country to mix with my colleagues internationally, I began to understand how people respected my brand and what they expected of me, because when you are back here, you get caught up with your normal stuff. You don’t know how big or what should be expected of you, because you are in your normal feeling, doing my normal Nollywood stuff”. Omotola said
“When am with people, I see how much they want from me, what they expect of me, I needed to get back to that, it was like a reset for me. It wasn’t easy because every year, you get a lot of people asking you ‘Omotola, are you not doing movies again’. So I said to myself until I find that project, not necessarily a multi-million naira movie, when I find that set up, the character that inspires me, I don’t mind investing in it, I would do it”.
“Luckily after three years or more, when Alter ego came up, I had to work with them on the script, I saw the director, the crew, I saw a team that was ready to push boundaries and I am ready with them because we are making magic”.Thanks for reading.
FG To Restructure Grazing Lands, Agric Ministry
The national coordinator, Grazing Reserves Rehabilitation, Mahmud Ibrahim has disclosed that the federal government is about to rehabilitate 414 grazing centers and stock routes across the country. He said this move was strategically aimed at ending the clash between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in parts of the country. Ibrahim disclosed this while speaking during a sensitisation and mobilisation programme on the issue at Wawazange Grazing Reserve in Dukkku Local Council of Gombe State, stressing that government would not relent in its responsibility to ensure that peace reigns between farmers and herders.
According to him, the rehabilitation exercise which is being carried out by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Agriculture is in conjunction with Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria is aimed at abolishing the root courses of herdsmen crisis. Ten states are mandated for the gracing centers and stock routes. Thanks for reading.
US Sec. John Kerry To Visit Nigeria
The United States Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria has disclosed that US Secretary of state, John Kerry would be visiting the country next week.
The Mission revealed that Kerry will be discussing issues relating to economy with President Buhari in Abuja after which the Secretary of state would visit Sokoto state where he will be speaking on the subject of religious tolerance.
The announcement reads: “U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Nairobi, Kenya, on August 22 to meet with President Kenyatta to discuss regional security issues and counter-terrorism cooperation, as well as bilateral issues,” read the statement.
“Secretary Kerry will also meet with Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed and other regional foreign ministers to discuss key challenges in East Africa, including the prospects for resumption of a political process in South Sudan and support to Somalia’s political transition and ongoing fight against al-Shabaab.
“He will have the opportunity to meet with participants of the Young African Leaders Initiative and the Mandela Washington Fellows programs.
“The Secretary will travel to Sokoto, and Abuja, Nigeria, on August 23-24. He will meet with President Buhari to discuss counter-terrorism efforts, the Nigerian economy, the fight against corruption, and human rights issues. In Sokoto, he will deliver a speech on the importance of resilient communities and religious tolerance in countering violent extremism. In Abuja, the Secretary will meet with a group of adolescent girls working to change community perceptions that devalue the role of girls in society. He will also meet with northern governors and religious leaders.
“On August 24-25, Secretary Kerry will travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for a series of meetings with senior Saudi leaders, his counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen. His discussion will focus on the ongoing conflict in Yemen and efforts to restore peace and stability. Additionally, the leaders will discuss the region’s most pressing challenges, including Syria and our global effort to counter Da’esh and violent extremism.”
Recall that Kerry visited Nigeria in two occasions-before the general election of 2015, and during the inauguration of this administration. His next week’s visit makes it third. Thanks for reading.
Timi Dakolo Explains Why His Wife Appears In His Music Videos
Timi Dakolo has explained reasons for featuring his wife, Busola in his musical videos, and what inspires his music. The multiple Headies Award winner is one who loves featuring his wife in his music videos.
According to him, his kind of songs are too deep, citing that he could not find anybody better to express it to, other than his wife. “My kind of are deep songs, I don’t think I want to express that kind of feelings for somebody else, because it is her I was telling so I had to sing it to her”. “The reason I chose ‘Love and consequences’ for my next album is because as we all know, love has consequences. It can be good, and it can also be bad”. Opening up on what inspires his kind of music, he said “My songs come through different ways, it could be through love, heartbreak, be it inspiration or motivation. It definitely comes from somewhere”.Thanks for reading.
