Trump Promotes Paul Manafort to Campaign Manager
Manafort once advised ex-Ukrainian President Yanukovych, whose actions led to the worst tensions between the West and Russia since the Cold War.
Members inside GOP presumptive presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign said that Paul Manafort has taken over as campaign manager:
Three people close to the campaign said some of Trump’s staff viewed Lewandowski as opposing strategic changes and staff hires urged for the general election campaign by Paul Manafort, a strategist hired in April partly for his experience on presidential campaigns that Lewandowski lacked.
The three, a campaign staffer and two people in regular contact with Trump advisers, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized by Trump to discuss the firing.
Manafort will take over as campaign manager, said Carl Paladino, co-chairman of the campaign’s operations in New York state.
“Paul’s in charge,” Sean Spicer, the Republican National Committee’s communications director, said in an interview.
Trump brought in Manafort in late March as an advisor. People may not know Manafort, but those like me who have covered Ukraine since 2013 know the name all too well since he once advised ex-President Viktor Yanukovych.
The man who advised the Moscow-backed president of Ukraine is now managing the campaign of the GOP candidate. While Manafort has consulted numerous unsavory individuals, Yanukovych remains fresh since his downfall has led to the worst tensions between the West and Russia since the Cold War.
Not enough articles have expanded on this. Sure, some posted about it when Trump brought on Manafort back in April, but never close to the front page.
Yanukovych ran for president in 2004, but came under fire when someone poisoned his opponent Viktor Yushchenko with dioxin poisoning. Luckily, he survived and won a second round election after experts deemed the first election invalid. Yanukovych’s image obviously took a hit because of the poisoning (even though no one has connected him to it), but also because he reminded the pro-Europeans too much of the old Soviet ways.
He then sought Manafort to reform his image, which started in his “tightly organized campaign events, in his pointed speeches and in how he has presented himself to the world.” This allowed Yanukovych to move through parliament just as Yushchenko’s popularity dived with the public:
“He brought a political pariah back from death, back from the graveyard,” said Brian Mefford, an American political consultant who has advised Mr Yushchenko and other Ukrainian politicians.
Despite his reputation as a “dark prince”, Mr Manafort deserved credit “for softening the rough edges of Yanukovich and consolidating [Ukraine’s] pro-Russia vote”, Mr Mefford said.
A former western diplomat also credited the consultant, saying, “Manafort dressed up Yanukovich, polished Yanukovich’s presentation and made over Yanukovich’s political positions.”
Asked about Manafort’s personal style, the diplomat responded: “I wouldn’t say he is charming — he tries to be charming.”
With a fresh vibe around him, Yanukovych won the presidential election against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in 2010. Before she could contest the election, the government brought embezzlement cases and other lawsuits against her. She landed a seven year prison sentence and Yanukovych remained in power.
He remained close with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but ticked him off when he agreed to sign the European Union Association Agreement. Putin could feel Ukraine, often called the crown jewel of Russia since many consider Kyiv as its birthplace, slipping through his fingers. He used money to persuade Yanukovych away from the EU and back with Russia.
Ukrainians felt that was the last straw and birthed Euromaidan. For three months, protests in Independence Square demanded Yanukovych step down, which finally happened on February 22, 2014. Next thing the world knew, uprisings began in east Ukraine and Crimea. Russia annexed the peninsula and constant reports of Russian soldiers in east Ukraine surfaced. Officials issued threats against ex-Soviet republics, leading them to ask NATO for extra security.
Yanukovych fled to Russia, where he is still located. Ukraine’s still struggling to shed the corruption and fight the war in the east. Russia continues to build forces on Ukraine’s border. Pro-Russian separatists shot down a passenger airline plane in July 2014, killing over 200 people. The West placed numerous economic sanctions on Russia and kicked them out of the G8.
Manafort has succeeded with other GOP candidates, but is it wise to bring in the man who advised the Ukrainian president that caused all the problems between the West and Russia? I guess not since the media constantly forgets Ukraine.
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Comments
Obama, Hillary and $5 billion took out the duly elected “pro-Moscow” president of the Ukraine. In the long run, the “pro-Moscow” side has more of Ukraine than before the Obama-Hillary push. At least he can give an early deja vu warning of what is coming. The 2016 campaign is getting more bizarre.
Yanukovych had a very difficult job to do and was probably doing too good of a job to last.
Ukraine is a poor corrupt country stuck in between Russia and the anti-Russian Clinton state department and Merkel EU at a time of rising tensions.
Choosing the EU means getting swamped with Rapefugees and losing much of its existing economy, choosing Russia means losing control over the country to Putin.
Yanukovych was effectively playing both sides, leveraging both sides against each other to get the best deal for his country.
Until both sides got tired of him and ousted him in a coup.
Which leads me to believe that Trump’s Manafort and Manafort’s Trump, are opportunistic goons without core principles.
J. J.
You already believed that so what’s your further point?
So given your expertise on that regions geopolitical issues & motivations would you please explain to us why NATO is now holding joint military war exercises in those former Soviet satellite republic’s on Russia’s border? Especially given who’s now president & in your view who’s likely to replace him?
To me it’s got all the makings of yet another set up neo-con foreign disaster.
My point: it matters who you receive council from. It matters to America who gives council to Trump.
Military exercises are a necessary part of preparedness.
NATO? The European members need to ramp up their military spending and sharpen their focus on their eastern border. Europe’s financial crisis has decreased their military spending.
European commitment is wavering and distracted, especially taking in and supporting a massive immigrant population.
For more info read https://www.stratfor.com/
J. J.
Your response was a non response. Your link dropped a paywall when I accessed it. So I ask again based on what I could glean from your response.
Are you a neo-con or McCain/Graham interventionist that thinks it’s wise to conduct military exercises on Russia’s borders?
“Military exercise’s are a necessary part of preparedness.”
Especially given the extant realities as laid out in the rest of your response that follows that quote from your response.
My response is exactly what I wanted to say.
And, no, I do not need to define myself. And, certainly not so you can denigrate whatever position I hold for your prurient purposes.
Now tell me, what is the “right” position to hold in your open ended question?
My pay wall is now up, too.
“Choosing EU”. That’s a fandom choice in which now many Ukrainians believe because, I guess, they have to believe in something. The EU doesn’t want them. Never did, never will.
I have no idea what role Manafort played as Yanukovich’s advisor.
However, it’s worth remembering that Yanukovich teamed up with the “pro-Western” Yushenko to put Timoshenko behind bars. I wouldn’t make heroes of either one of the three. They are all crooks.
I wouldn’t overestimate the power Yanukovich experted as a president. He was a weak, as all Ukrainian presidents are, including the current one. It’s not a bad thing. The key difference between Russian and Ukrainian political culture is that while Russia has a clear power vertical, in Ukraine power is concentrated in its many regions, not the capital. In Russia, Putin is the oligarch to end all oligarchs, but in Ukraine there are several. Other than that, it’s the same rotten, corrupt state.
Contrary to the romantic narrative pushed by the Western media, Euromaidan was supported by about 50% of Ukrainians. Others preferred closer relations with Russia because of longstanding economic and family ties (70% of Ukrainians have relatives in Russia). The best explanation for the origin of Euromaidan is that it came out of the relationship between Putin and the Ukrainian oligarchs.
It’s a pet peeve of mine, but Kiev is an English world. “Kyiv” is a creation of Soviet-style bureaucracy. Take it from the Infoukes: http://www.infoukes.com/faq/kyiv-2/
Manafort sounds like a talented professional.
But we all know what trouble they are. Hell, I personally know a professional guy—an expensive defense attorney—who has defended criminals in the past. What a douche, huh? And he looks so normal, too. Nice wife and kids. And a dog. And a shinier car than mine. But, criminals. Yeeesshhh. I’d never hire somebody like that. I have principles.
Monofart IS the very model of the modern lobbyist puke that Der Donald had punked you about NEVER, EVER needing, wanting, or using.
Oh, and he’s self-funding his campaign…!!!
BWAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA…!!!
If the “you” you reference in your response was aimed at me I challenge you to demonstrate where I reference either Trump or “Monofart” in my responses.
In either case your response is characteristic of how you drag down a serious issue to the level of a toilet in the process of being flushed.
If your response was aimed at Tom Swift the same still applies.
You poor lil’ bundle of insecurities and inferiority complexes! Can you figure out who I was responding to?
Can you deny what Monofart is? The quintessential lobbyist puke?
While you’re lying about what I said, put up the “blogsite” where you hallucinate you got the bullshit you posted about me the other day.
Rags ;
Is your cousin still pissed that you kissed him after your momma insisted he go with you to your Prom? One would think you’d be a little less hostile now that you can use the “little girls” room.
Ps :
Professor Jacobson.
You of course can ban anyone you choose to on this site. Without you this resource would not be available to any of us. I strive to recognize & remember that in all my usage of this resource.
Signed, DoubleSucks (secondwind)
I love to demonstrate what a liar you are, honey.
Now, put up the “blogsite” you are lying about finding stuff you lied about concerning me.
He is self-funding, by default.
Manafort is a smart choice. Now, everyone on the team is on the same page. If Hillary had that in 2008, she would have been the first woman president.
He was an adviser to the presidential campaigns of Republicans Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush and John McCain.
In other words, he’s batting .160.
Let’s just hope he came into the Reagan circle after Reagan dumped his rino campaign manager, John Sears, ultimately winning the election.
Fine Report:
You mean Manafort is batting .500:
Reagan, Reagan, GHWB, GWB, GWB.