Donald Trump speaks during his interview with Bill O'Reilly on the Fox news talk show The O'Reilly Factor, Nov. 6, 2015. | AP Photo Trump on Lewandowski firing: 'Time for a different kind of campaign'

Donald Trump lavished praise on fired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski Monday night, but told Fox News' Bill O'Reilly that the reshuffling signaled a shift in the campaign's strategy.

"I think Corey’s terrific. I watched him before. He was terrific toward me. Said I was a talented person. And he’s a talented person," Trump said on "The O'Reilly Factor." "He’s a good guy. He’s a friend of mine. But I think it’s time now for a different kind of a campaign. We ran a small, beautiful, well-unified campaign. It worked very well in the primaries."


The real estate mogul hinted at a potential change in tone for the campaign, something Republican leaders have been calling for as he prepares to enter into a race against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

"We’re going to go a little bit of a different route from this point forward," Trump said. "A little different style."

Trump also dismissed the notion that internal tensions in the campaign caused issues between Lewandowski and other staffers. Asked about office politics, Trump replied: "That's part of the business."

“Well it happens all over. You talk about office politics. It’s all over. And yes, I think it does happen here too. It happens everywhere," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said.

The comments came of the heels of a contentious afternoon in the Trump camp, which saw campaign adviser Michael Caputo resign after celebrating the Lewandowski firing on Facebook.





Trump's statement on Fox News also served as his first comments on the matter since the firing, with the usually talkative Trump failing to comment on the decision on social media Monday.

During the interview, Trump also addressed speculation about his running mate, telling O'Reilly that a decision would come at the Republican National Convention next month in Cleveland. Trump also praised Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, whose name has come up as a potential pick for the vice presidency slot.

"He’s got good judgment. He’s a good guy. He’s been amazingly helpful," Trump said of Gingrich. "I watch him on the different shows, including yours, but I’m with him also. He’s got very great talent.”

Trump also discussed recent polls, which show him trailing Clinton in a general election match-up, downplaying the results as being too early to forecast the outcome of the race.

“I think it’s very close. I think that probably one poll came out pretty much even," he said. "I just don’t know. It’s fairly early to have polling. I think we haven’t even gotten started yet. You know I’m just literally just starting. And I view the convention as probably a real starting point. But I think it’s pretty even from what I’m seeing.