On Thursday, Donald Trump announced the expansion of his senior adviser team, adding five new aides, including his former 2016 presidential campaign chief, as the campaign seeks effective strategies against Kamala Harris, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The former president has brought Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, and Alex Bruesewitz from the Trump-aligned Maga Inc political action committee, along with previous campaign veterans Corey Lewandowski and Tim Murtaugh.
The new hires will join the Trump campaign as senior advisers, working alongside co-campaign chiefs Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita. Although Lewandowski, who ran the 2016 campaign, will not reprise that role, he will continue as an informal adviser in a more official capacity through the final stretch to November.
Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for the 2020 campaign, returns in a broader role, accompanied by Budowich, Pfeiffer, and Bruesewitz. Bruesewitz, known for his large online following, is expected to direct social outreach.
These additions come at a challenging time for the Trump campaign. Senior aides have faced criticism and challenges to their positions during what has been described as the campaign's rockiest stretch since its launch in 2022. Historically, Trump has made significant changes to his campaign team during the summer months, as seen in 2016 and 2020.
Later on Thursday, Trump held a press event at his New Jersey golf club, where he defended his strategy of personal attacks on Harris. During a 45-minute speech that resembled one of his rallies, Trump reiterated many of his signature claims before taking questions from reporters. When asked if his current strategy of personal attacks on Harris was effective, Trump insisted he was "entitled to personal attacks" because he is "very angry" at "what [Harris] has done to the country."
Trump also addressed the hiring of the new operatives, denying it signaled a shifting strategy and referring to Lewandowski as a "personal envoy."
The Harris campaign responded by issuing a sarcastic advisory to reporters, suggesting they could expect Trump to "ramble incoherently" in a non-battleground state, and advising them to "tune in for the same old thing."
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