BATON ROUGE, La.: Offering consolation, expressing regret, cutting ties with a controversial aide. Donald Trump’s campaign turnaround plan on Friday featured the unorthodox candidate acting much like a conventional politician struggling to revive a presidential bid.
Trump headed to flood-damaged Louisiana to express solidarity with residents cleaning up after devastating flooding that left at least 13 people dead. The trip made for a pointed contrast to President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who both have yet to go, although Obama announced Friday that he would visit next week.
The typically brash and spotlight-seeking billionaire offered notably restrained remarks as he surveyed the disaster.
“Nobody understands how bad it is,” Trump told reporters, after briefly helping unload a truck of supplies while cameras captured the moment. “It’s really incredible, so I’m just here to help.”
Yet the trip did little to obscure the turmoil in Trump’s campaign, punctuated early Friday when Trump announced that he’d accepted campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s offer to resign.
Manafort’s departure followed a string of revelations about his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, never disclosed their work as foreign agents as required under federal law.
Trump, in a statement, praised Manafort’s work on the campaign and called him a “true professional.”
Campaign spokesman Jason Miller said Gates would remain part of the campaign with a new role as liaison to the Republican National Committee, which has had a turbulent relationship with its nominee.
Later Friday, Trump fired up a rally in Dimondale, Mich.
Although the suburb just outside Lansing is overwhelmingly white, Trump made an appeal to black voters. He urged them to abandon Democrats, who he said only take advantage of African-American voters.
“You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed — what the hell do you have to lose?” he said.