Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has released his controversial campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski.
"Lewandowski will no longer be working on the campaign," Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said Monday. Hicks expressed appreciation for Lewandowski's "hard work and dedication."
Lewandowski, who had been with the Trump campaign since last June, was perceived by many political observers as having hostile relationships with numerous national journalists and strained relations with some Republican Party officials.
He received considerable attention after accusations of manhandling a female reporter in Florida during the primary campaign. Lewandowski also clashed with Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Trump's poll numbers have been declining and he faces resistance from many Republican Party members concerned about his contentious remarks.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, may make other changes to his campaign staff in preparation for the party's national convention in the midwestern city of Cleveland, Ohio July 18-21.
Trump has complained that some Republicans are trying to thwart the official declaration of his nomination at the convention.
Some delegates to the convention have said they want to change the party's rules to allow delegates to vote for someone other than Trump, who surged past 16 other Republican candidates in months of state-by-state party nominating contests to give him a majority of pledged delegates.
Some material for this report came from AP and AFP.
