The future of Parscale, whom the President and his allies had praised as a digital guru who helped secure Trump’s first electoral effort and became his re-election campaign manager in early 2018, had been in serious doubt for weeks. . In addition to the president’s lagging poll numbers, Trump was furious after a highly publicized return to the campaign failed in late June. A planned rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, fell far short of expectations after Parscale predicted massive crowds, not only within the 19,000-seat arena but also outside.
In the weeks leading up to the event, Parscale predicted that up to 100,000 people would flock to support the President. Instead, a sparse crowd of just over 6,000 arrived, the outdoor event was canceled, and Trump was embarrassed, putting much of the blame on Parscale, who personally offered Tulsa as one of the venues for the return of the president to the trail.
“I am pleased to announce that Bill Stepien has been promoted to the position of Trump campaign manager,” Trump said in a Facebook post. “Brad Parscale, who has been with me for a long time and spearheaded our tremendous digital and data strategies, will continue in that role, while being Senior Advisor to the campaign. They were both very involved in our historic 2016 victory, and I hope to have a Great and very important second victory together. This should be much easier as our survey numbers are increasing rapidly, the economy is improving, vaccines and therapeutics will soon be on the way, and Americans want safe streets and communities! “
A senior adviser to the campaign said Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and top advisers to both men have been discussing Parscale’s move for several days. The adviser described Parscale’s situation as unsustainable. The Trump family had been angered in recent weeks by reports of how much money Parscale was making in his role, including stories about his ownership of a Ferrari. Parscale, the adviser said, had been advised to stay low and stay out of the limelight, advice he apparently did not take.
The adviser said Stepien, Jason Miller and Jeff DeWitt are now considered to be running the day-to-day campaign operations.
CNN has reached out to Parscale for comment, but has yet to respond. A source tells CNN that, despite the degradation, he plans to keep the campaign.
A degraded lifelong helper
A source familiar with Trump’s thinking said he had wanted to get Parscale out of work for the past few weeks, but was hesitant to fire him.
While several campaign figures were concerned about what would happen to the digital operation if Parscale were to be fired entirely, Trump was concerned that Parscale would pursue him and potentially write a negative book. Trump did not call his longtime campaign manager on Wednesday to tell him the news.
Parscale worked for the Trump family years before Trump launched a presidential nomination and was promoted to a role led by the campaign’s data analysis team in June 2016. After Trump won, Parscale worked with America First Policies, a pro Trump political organization.
Parscale made that goodwill his role in running the entire campaign. He accepted the job in February 2018, but, as the elections approached and the campaign demands took hold, along with the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was growing concern that his lack of political experience would begin. to show.
“It was only a matter of time” before Parscale was removed from his role as campaign manager, a senior campaign adviser said. “His inexperience hampered the campaign.”
In a call, three acquaintances said, Trump yelled at Parscale and chastised him for the poll numbers. At one point in the call, Trump threatened to sue him.
Trump denied ever yelling at Parscale, and two sources said the president and Parscale sorted things out soon after.
While it was clear within the campaign that Parscale’s favor within the President’s orbit was declining, his downgrade was still a surprise to many.
Most campaign aides found out about the news with Trump’s Facebook post on Wednesday night, sources told CNN.
Officials told CNN in recent days that while Parscale had lost influence and won Trump’s ire, he would likely remain the manager of the campaign in the title, even as other aides have already begun taking over more parts. important strategic decisions of the campaign.
However, Parscale’s relationship with Trump soured significantly in the wake of the Tulsa campaign debacle.
“He doesn’t like Brad,” said a Trump adviser last week, noting that Trump has frequently interrupted Parscale during meetings and disagrees with almost every position he takes, sometimes eventually agreeing with the same position. when later another assistant in the room reiterates it.
“It is very clear that when Brad offers a job, Trump decides to be against it,” said the adviser.
But many saw the role as an impossible campaign manager. Kushner has one foot within the White House and one foot within the campaign and was known for hiring people without informing Parscale. And Trump often attributed the poor polls to his campaign employees, rather than his own actions.
Parscale also enjoys a close relationship with the President’s children, and his firm, Parscale Strategy, has been used to pay prominent figures close to the family: Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., and Lara Trump, the wife. from Eric Trump. Both have advisory and fundraising roles with the campaign.
Stepien assumes the role of campaign manager
Stepien met with the president Tuesday at the White House about the possible move, according to a source familiar with the situation. He joined Trump’s first presidential campaign in August 2016.
He previously served as national director of John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008 and was New Hampshire’s political director in President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election effort.
Stepian, a former chief aide to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, was fired amid the Bridgegate scandal, but was ultimately not charged in the federal investigation into the closure of the lanes. However, court documents later revealed that an assistant to Christie texted a colleague in the middle of Christie’s press conference about the bubbly scandal in December 2013 in which Christie “simply lied about top staff and Stepien was not involved. “
Before his firing, Stepien was expected to lead the Christie’s 2016 presidential campaign.
“Bill is the most talented political agent in America. He understands political operations, understands the field, understands participation and metrics in a way that is unparalleled,” said Matt Mowers, a New Hampshire congressional candidate and former aide from the Christie and Trump administration.
Kushner recruited Stepien to join the Trump campaign, and the two enjoy a close relationship.
Stepien’s understanding of the data and metrics will be vital, as the President seeks to change the poll numbers in key battlefield states. He has experience in turning administration successes on very specific topics into personalized messages targeted at very specific groups of voters.
“The most important thing Bill must do is gather all the resources of the campaign and the RNC to ensure that the president meets the metrics he needs to win in these battlefield states. Part of this will be the president articulating the vision for in the next four years, “said a source close to Stepien.
Kushner solidifies his role but Trump is in control
The installation of a new campaign manager for Trump does not change a fact, a Republican close to the campaign tells CNN: Kushner is still effectively in charge of the reelection campaign.
“Jared is and has been running almost everything,” said a high-ranking Republican close to the campaign. “This does not change that.”
The Republican close to the campaign made it clear that the stakes are even higher for Kushner.
A Republican strategist close to the campaign said the move to demote Parscale and promote Stepien means: “Jared owned (the campaign) before, but he really owns it now.”
But ultimately, the Trump campaign is still under the President’s control.
A senior White House official told CNN that only Trump can change his campaign.
“Brad is not the one sending the message,” the official said. “Brad is not the one who refuses to wear a mask. He (Trump) is not focused. Everyone has told him that. Nothing has changed.”
Some of the President’s aides within the White House have been skeptical of Parscale, whose political insight they questioned and whose lifestyle they found unpleasant.
Many of the president’s aides are frustrated that Trump himself does not appear to have adopted a consistent campaign message or has failed to take the necessary steps to save his reelection prospects.
A senior Trump aide echoed that and told CNN that unless Trump handles the virus, he is in grave danger.
Kushner and all the campaign officials in the world cannot fix that, the adviser said.
This story has been updated with additional developments and reports on Wednesday.
CNN’s Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak, Dana Bash and Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
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