Manafort: Trump 'is in control of his campaign'

Donald Trump’s campaign chairman hit back at reports Wednesday that he has lost control of the Republican nominee.

Not so, Paul Manafort told Fox News, blasting such reports as part of a media-driven narrative in favor of Hillary Clinton.


“Well, first of all the candidate is in control of his campaign. That’s No. 1,” Manafort said. “And I’m in control of doing the things that he wants me to do in the campaign. The turmoil — and this is another Clinton narrative that’s being put out there and that the media is picking up on.”

Manafort pointed to more positive news for the campaign, noting the hiring of 50 state directors, “a record amount of money that we raised in July,” as well as Trump’s rallies this week “in front of crowds overflowing onto the streets.

“So the campaign is in very good shape,” Manafort said. “You know, we are organized, we are moving forward and the Clinton machine may not like it, but we’re prepared for the fight.”

Asked about the firing of senior aide Ed Brookover, Manafort brushed off Brookover’s utility after his role coordinating the campaign with the Republican National Committee and last month's Republican National Convention had ended.

"First of all, one person doesn’t define a campaign. No. 2, he was not even part of the campaign. He was sitting over at the RNC and his function was to deal as a liaison, and the convention was over,” Manafort said. “I mean, Ed’s a great guy and the RNC ... and his role with the RNC was over with when the convention was over with, so it was nothing to do with the campaign and the structure of the campaign. We’ve hired 50 guys in the last week that we’ve announced as state directors, that went on payroll Aug. 1, so that should be what’s defining the campaign.”

Manafort also rejected an NBC News report that he, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giulani, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and Trump’s children are plotting an intervention to reset the campaign.

“This is the first I’m hearing of that,” Manafort laughed, going on to say that Trump will be on-message hitting the Iran nuclear deal and Clinton.

He added, “So, the campaign is focused and the campaign is moving forward in a positive way. The only thing we have to have an intervention [on] is some media types who keep saying things that are not true.”