But now, with the departure of Manafort and the installation of a regime much friendlier to him, Lewandowski’s engagement with the Trump campaign appears to once again be on the rise, not just in the swing state of New Hampshire but also nationally.
Even in exile, Lewandowski maintained a close relationship with Trump. But in recent weeks, with the absence of a leadership team actively committed to boxing him out, he has reengaged with the operation more broadly, listening in on morning conference calls and conferring regularly with campaign CEO Stephen Bannon and deputy campaign manager David Bossie — an old friend who persuaded Trump to hire Lewandowski last year — according to Republicans close to the campaign.
Ironically, despite Lewandowski’s reputation for encouraging Trump’s impulses and the elevation of fellow outsiders like Bannon at the expense of Washington veteran Manafort, the resurgence of Lewandowski’s influence coincides with the most disciplined, on-message stretch of Trump’s candidacy.
Trump Tower Kremlinologists see in Lewandowski’s reengagement signs that Trump’s adult children and son-in-law Jared Kushner — who engineered his ouster and urged Manafort on their father — are ceding ground as Trump turns to a bevy of aides loyal to his influential mega-donors Bob and Rebekah Mercer.
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