Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is dropping campaign manager Corey Lewandowski from his team, the New York Times reported Monday.
The campaign thanked Lewandowski for his "hard work and dedication" in a statement. The firing comes amid a difficult time for Trump, who is lagging behind Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the polls and is also facing large deficits in fundraising. The Times reports:
"The Donald J. Trump Campaign for President, which has set a historic record in the Republican primary having received almost 14 million votes, has today announced that Corey Lewandowski will no longer be working with the campaign," the campaign spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said in a statement. "The campaign is grateful to Corey for his hard work and dedication and we wish him the best in the future."
Mr. Trump had faced increasing concerns from allies and donors, as well as his children, about the next phase of the campaign as he pivots toward a general election.
One person briefed on the moves, who asked not to be identified, said the campaign had long planned adjustments to adjust to the needs of a general election campaign.
Lewandowski made headlines in March when he grabbed the arm of former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields as she was trying to ask Trump a question in Florida. Fields sought to press charges against Lewandowski for the incident, but the prosecutor decided not to go ahead with the simple battery case.
Trump stood by his embattled campaign manager at the time.