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Trump shakes up White House campaign team — again

Donald Trump has made significant changes to his campaign to boost poll numbers.

Donald Trump has made significant changes to his campaign to boost poll numbers. Photo: AAP

Republican strategists hope it’s not too late for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign to recover, as he makes bold changes to boost slipping poll numbers.

Mr Trump has shaken up his struggling presidential campaign with moves bringing in two new managers and demoting another on Wednesday.

Mr Trump announced he had hired Steve Bannon, the head of the conservative news website Breitbart News, as campaign CEO, a new position, while promoting senior adviser Kellyanne Conway to the position of campaign manager.

The appointments amounted to a demotion for Paul Manafort, who was brought on as campaign manager earlier this year to professionalise Mr Trump’s campaign, but has struggled to get the New York businessman to rein in his freewheeling ways.

The shakeup takes place as Mr Trump finds himself behind Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in national polls and in many battleground states, potentially facing a big defeat in the November 8 election that could also cost Republicans control of the US Congress.

Mr Bannon’s appointment suggested that Mr Trump is aiming not so much to tone down his aggressive style but to be more disciplined in emphasising themes that resonate strongly with the voters he is trying to court, such as his stances on illegal immigration and withering personal criticism of Mrs Clinton.

Kellyanne Conway has been promoted from senior advisor to campaign manager.

Kellyanne Conway has gone from senior advisor to campaign manager. Photo: AAP.

Corey Lewandowski, Mr Trump’s former campaign manager who was ousted in June, said on CNN that Mr Bannon was “a street fighter,” like himself.

Brian Walsh, a Republican strategist who has been critical of Mr Trump in the past, said his embrace of Mr Bannon seemed to indicate the New York businessman had no intention of changing tactics.

“He’s rejecting efforts by political professionals to professionalise his campaign and he’s going the route he went in the primaries: hard right. It’s proven to be a disaster in the general election,” Mr Walsh said.

The shift to new leadership is never a good sign at this stage of a campaign, but some Republican strategists stressed that it was not too late for Mr Trump.

“I’ve thought for a while that they’ve needed more smart, senior people and it looks like they just got them,” said Republican strategist Charlie Black.

“It’s only the middle of August. This race is going to be close in the end, but he does need to tighten up his performance.”

The change is expected to lead to shorter, more policy-specific campaign speeches from Mr Trump.

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