See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
There are two distinct phases to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign that can be seen through his staffing decisions. The initial staffing involved only a handful of key advisors, including longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone.
Trump hired Corey Lewandowski as campaign manager in February 2015.[1] Lewandowski came from Americans for Prosperity, a 501(c)(4) organization associated with David and Charles Koch, as did a number of early staffers. These early hires—combined with his choices for communications—suggested that Trump intended to build a smaller staff that did not come from the traditional consultant class in the Republican Party. Trump added his foreign policy team in March 2016, continuing the trend of hiring staffers with little traditional experience in political consulting. The New York Times reported that many policy experts were "scratching their heads as they tried to identify his choices."[2]
The second phase of the campaign began when Trump's hiring and promotion shifted from the non-traditional to more established consultants. In March 2016, as the potential for a contested convention increased, Trump hired Paul Manafort—who has worked in presidential politics since the 1976 Republican convention—as his convention manager.[3] Trump also promoted Michael Glassner, a longtime aide to former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), to deputy campaign manager.[4] By the New York primary elections on April 19, Manafort had taken on an expanded role in the campaign. He helped to hire former Scott Walker campaign manager Rick Wiley as well as former Chris Christie campaign manager Ken McKay. Manafort and Wiley were then authorized "to take the reins in upcoming states" with a significantly expanded budget.[5] Manafort's role expansion came as campaign manager Corey Lewandowski's role was diminished "to a role that amounts to body man and scheduler," according to CBS News.[6] The campaign itself began to shift in its approach to the nomination and an anticipated general election, with Manafort instituting more policy speeches and the use of teleprompters and speechwriters.[7]
Key campaign staff and advisors
See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign key staff and advisors experience, 2016
The following tables detail the 23 key staff and advisors
Ballotpedia has identified for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. These staff members have worked on a total of 21 previous presidential campaigns. The only overlapping experience among Trump's staff is between Roger Stone and Paul Manafort—who worked together on Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign—and Barry Bennett and Ed Brookover, who both moved to Trump's campaign from the presidential run of Ben Carson.
These staff tables are divided based on campaign roles. The leftmost column indicates the individual staff member or advisor. The middle column details that individual's relationship to Trump's current campaign. The final column indicates the individual's previous experience. More detailed profiles of individuals can be found by clicking the links in the leftmost column.
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