Donald Trump’s chief campaign strategist Paul Manafort claimed Sunday that comments he made about the billionaire during the Republican National Committee’s spring meeting were misconstrued.
Manafort told a roomful of RNC members last Thursday that Trump has been playing a “part” and they can expect to see “more depth” from him in the coming weeks.
“That’s what’s important for you to understand: That he gets it, and that the part he’s been playing is evolving,” Manafort said of Trump. “The negatives are going to come down. The image is going to change, but Clinton is still going to be crooked Hillary.”
But Manafort told Fox News on Sunday that he was referring to how Trump behaves at his campaign rallies “versus some other setting[s].”
“In the context of that room, that’s what was said and that’s what was understood,” he said.
Manafort added, “On the campaign setting, you’re seeing the real Donald Trump in campaign mode talking to people who believe in his candidacy.”
“We were evolving the campaign, not the candidate and the settings were going to start changing,” he added.
Trump is expected to deliver the first in a series of major policy speeches in Washington next week. The GOP front-runner will discuss the economy and national security at the National Press Club next Wednesday.
