This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/08/donald-trump-roger-stone-megyn-kelly
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 'You're fired': Trump and aide Stone at odds over split amidst Kelly controversy | 'You're fired': Trump and aide Stone at odds over split amidst Kelly controversy |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was dealt another blow on Saturday when top strategist Roger Stone parted ways with the real-estate mogul. | |
| Related: Donald Trump banned from RedState over menstruation jibe at Megyn Kelly | Related: Donald Trump banned from RedState over menstruation jibe at Megyn Kelly |
| Stone said he resigned, tweeting: “Sorry @realDonaldTrump didn’t fire me – I fired Trump. Diasagree with diversion to food fight with @megynkelly away core issue messages.” | Stone said he resigned, tweeting: “Sorry @realDonaldTrump didn’t fire me – I fired Trump. Diasagree with diversion to food fight with @megynkelly away core issue messages.” |
| In contrast, the Trump campaign insisted that Stone had been fired. In a statement, a campaign spokesperson said: “Mr Trump fired Roger Stone last night. | In contrast, the Trump campaign insisted that Stone had been fired. In a statement, a campaign spokesperson said: “Mr Trump fired Roger Stone last night. |
| “We have a tremendously successful campaign and Roger wanted to use the campaign for his own personal publicity. He has had a number of articles about him recently and Mr Trump wants to keep the focus of the campaign on how to Make America Great Again.” | “We have a tremendously successful campaign and Roger wanted to use the campaign for his own personal publicity. He has had a number of articles about him recently and Mr Trump wants to keep the focus of the campaign on how to Make America Great Again.” |
| On Saturday evening, Stone appeared on CNN to explain his side of the story and, it turned out, maintain a largely loyal line. He said he resigned that morning because he thought he was having no impact on the campaign, and said he had not heard back from the Trump organisation. | |
| Asked if he still considered Trump a friend – having attended two of his three weddings – he said: “Yes. This is politics.” | |
| Stone also repeated that he thought Trump would be a valid candidate for president, as someone “independent” of the political establishment. But he said he did not think Trump would run as a third-party candidate, which might “jeopardise the prospect of anyone beating Hillary Clinton”. | |
| Stone, a legendary Republican operative who worked for President Nixon, earlier provided to MSNBC a letter of resignation, addressed to Trump, in which he stated: “Unfortunately, the current controversies involving personalities and provocative media fights have reached such a high volume that it has distracted attention from your platform and overwhelmed your core message. | |
| “With this current direction of the candidacy, I no longer can remain involved in your campaign.” | “With this current direction of the candidacy, I no longer can remain involved in your campaign.” |
| Stone, who revels in his reputation as “a dirty trickster,” cut his teeth working for Nixon and has long been associated with Trump, including an advisory role when the businessman considered a presidential run in 2000. | Stone, who revels in his reputation as “a dirty trickster,” cut his teeth working for Nixon and has long been associated with Trump, including an advisory role when the businessman considered a presidential run in 2000. |
| His departure came less than a day after Trump was uninvited from the influential conservative conference RedState Gathering, for implying that Fox News host Megyn Kelly had asked him tough questions during Thursday’s debate because she was menstruating. | His departure came less than a day after Trump was uninvited from the influential conservative conference RedState Gathering, for implying that Fox News host Megyn Kelly had asked him tough questions during Thursday’s debate because she was menstruating. |
| Trump led polls regarding the Republican field going into the debate, and hence took centre stage, despite a series of controversies over remarks about Mexicans, immigrants, Senator John McCain and other GOP candidates. | Trump led polls regarding the Republican field going into the debate, and hence took centre stage, despite a series of controversies over remarks about Mexicans, immigrants, Senator John McCain and other GOP candidates. |
| On Saturday, Trump insisted that in his remark about Kelly, which was made in an interview with CNN, he had been referencing a nose bleed. He also said those who interpreted his remark to be about menstruation were “deviant”. | On Saturday, Trump insisted that in his remark about Kelly, which was made in an interview with CNN, he had been referencing a nose bleed. He also said those who interpreted his remark to be about menstruation were “deviant”. |
| Related: RedState hypocrisy: does Donald Trump critic Erick Erickson have a woman problem too? | Related: RedState hypocrisy: does Donald Trump critic Erick Erickson have a woman problem too? |
| Other candidates for the Republican nomination were quick to issue statements condemning Trump’s remark. Carly Fiorina, the only woman in the field, led the way on Friday night with a tweet in which she said: ““Mr Trump: There. Is. No. Excuse.” | Other candidates for the Republican nomination were quick to issue statements condemning Trump’s remark. Carly Fiorina, the only woman in the field, led the way on Friday night with a tweet in which she said: ““Mr Trump: There. Is. No. Excuse.” |
| Lindsey Graham, John Kasich, Scott Walker, George Pataki and Rick Perry followed suit on Saturday. Graham said: “As a party, we are better to risk losing without Donald Trump than trying to win with him. | Lindsey Graham, John Kasich, Scott Walker, George Pataki and Rick Perry followed suit on Saturday. Graham said: “As a party, we are better to risk losing without Donald Trump than trying to win with him. |
| “Enough already with Mr Trump.” | “Enough already with Mr Trump.” |
| On CNN on Saturday, Stone was asked about a conversation allegedly between him and Trump that the website Politico reported “verbatim” and said began with Stone telling the candidate: “Donald, stop with the Megyn Kelly shit. It’s fucking crazy. It’s killing us.” | |
| Stone did not confirm the conversation as verbatim, although he said it was generally accurate. He declined to condemn the remark about Kelly and said he did not resign because of it. | |
| “I quit because the campaign was headed in a direction which I felt I could have no impact,” he said. “I quit because I think the campaign should return to the issues.” | |
| Stone said he would not work for another Republican 2016 campaign, despite having been called by more than one since leaving Trump. Asked if he would ever return to Trump, he said “most likely not under the current set-up”. | |
| Stone also said the split had not been staged for publicity, but was the result of an “honest disagreement”. | |
| At RedState Gathering, meanwhile, one Republican operative suggested to the Guardian that Stone’s departure was the culmination of an ongoing power struggle within the mogul’s orbit, in which Stone had lost out to Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager. | At RedState Gathering, meanwhile, one Republican operative suggested to the Guardian that Stone’s departure was the culmination of an ongoing power struggle within the mogul’s orbit, in which Stone had lost out to Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager. |
| A week ago, long-time Stone associate Sam Nunberg was sacked from the Trump campaign, for writing racially charged Facebook posts. | A week ago, long-time Stone associate Sam Nunberg was sacked from the Trump campaign, for writing racially charged Facebook posts. |