Donald Trump has cleared his schedule for the coming days, opting to stay in New York instead of attending events in Colorado and California. His campaign announced the change of plans earlier today, following a massive yet strangely lackluster rally in Bethpage, Long Island on Wednesday night (April 6).
What’s going on?
“Mr. Trump has rescheduled his California trip and will be campaigning in New York. He looks forward to returning to California in the weeks ahead,” his spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in a statement. It is unclear what those New York events could be. In an email to The Washington Post, Hicks emphasized that the re-shuffling was not a result of a fatigue. “Mr. Trump is working extremely hard, both on the campaign, which remains his primary focus, and on the multibillion-dollar company he is still running,” she said.
But Trump did appear uncharacteristically subdued during the Long Island rally.
He is leading by a wide margin in New York: according to one poll he is supported by 52% of likely Republican primary voter, to John Kasich’s 25% and Ted Cruz’s 17%. So he sure doesn’t need to ramp up his home state effort.
However, it appears that his campaign is going through some upheaval, with rumors of infighting among his staff. In what seems to be an effort to rally his troops, Trump announced he was re-organizing his staff, and making experienced operative Paul Manafort his “convention manager,” who would be working closely with beleaguered campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.