Trump Replaces Campaign Manager

With just over three months to go until the November 2020 presidential election, presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump made the surprising announcement last Wednesday that he is replacing his campaign manager. What led to this change? Who will the replacement be? What is the response? Here, Election Central takes a closer look.

Out with the Old

Trump’s campaign manager was Brad Parscale. Parscale has worked for Trump for the past ten years and played an important role in Trump’s 2016 campaign, where he served as a member of the digital and data operations team.

However, the Trump campaign has faced some setbacks lately. Support for the president in the polls has been falling, and turnout at his rally in Tulsa last month was much lower than expected. According to campaign staffers, President Trump blamed Parscale for the botched event and for the president’s dropping poll numbers.

In with the New

Parscale’s replacement is Bill Stepien, who has served as deputy manager to the campaign. Stepien also played a role in the 2016 campaign as national field director, and later served as White House political director. A seasoned political veteran, Stepien has immediately begun to take a deep dive into the campaign’s budget, organizational structure, and staffing–though at this point it’s still unclear what changes he plans to make to strengthen the president’s reelection attempt.

Stepien also worked on George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, and the 2008 presidential campaigns of Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. But he is also known for aiding in former New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s “Bridgegate” scandal in 2014, when lanes of the George Washington Bridge were closed in order to create a deliberate traffic backup for political reasons. The scandal cost Christie a potential 2016 presidential bid, and Stepien was fired for his role.

Parscale, meanwhile, will stay on in a position similar to the one he held in the 2016 campaign: helping to lead digital and data strategies. According to Trump, Parscale will also serve as a Senior Advisor to the campaign, though it remains to be seen if he will be involved in its day-to-day workings.

Dig Deeper Use Internet resources to learn more about the 2014 New Jersey “Bridgegate” scandal. Why did then-governor Christie intentionally shut down the George Washington Bridge?