Trump says he’ll soon be called ‘Mr. Brexit’
Predicting win, Republican nominee likens his roller-coaster campaign to upset UK vote to leave European Union
The Republican candidate for president of the United States on Thursday linked his rocky campaign with the surprising June outcome of a UK referendum to leave the European Union.
“They will soon be calling me MR. BREXIT!” Donald Trump exclaimed on Twitter, in an apparent prediction that he will beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in November despite a recent decline in national polls.
Trump on Wednesday shook up his campaign team for a second time in just two months, fending off suggestions that his presidential bid is in crisis as polls showed Clinton cruising toward victory.
The Republican White House nominee, who is tanking in swing states, hired a news executive from a virulently anti-Clinton website as his campaign chief executive and promoted a leading Republican strategist to campaign manager.
Stephen Bannon is executive chairman of Breitbart News, and Trump’s new manager is leading Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway.
“I am committed to doing whatever it takes to win this election and ultimately become president,” the New York billionaire announced.
The shake-up comes with chairman Paul Manafort under fire in the press after being named in a Ukrainian corruption scandal.
In an interview with CNN, Trump adviser Michael Cohen denied the campaign was seeing a “shake-up” and that Trump was slumping was in the polls.
When interviewer Brianna Keilar asked Cohen about the low poll ratings, he simply replied: “Says who? Says who?”
“Polls, most of them. All of them?” she replied. After an awkward pause, Cohen repeated: “Says who?”
“Polls. I just told you. I answered your question,” she continued.
“Okay, which polls?” asked Cohen. “All of them,” Keilar repeated.
Clinton is leading Trump 47.3 percent to 41.2%, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average. The Republican languishes behind her in virtually every key battleground state, raising the prospect of a Clinton landslide win.
Trump has been badly damaged since denigrating the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq, members of the so-called Gold Star families who have lost loved ones in military service.
Critics also accused him last week of inciting violence against Clinton in a remark about the right to bear arms.
A string of prominent Republicans have announced they will not vote for Trump as media reports swirled about a campaign in crisis and staffers unnerved by a candidate apparently incapable of reeling in crass remarks.