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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts to the crowd as he arrives to deliver a campaign speech in Charlotte, N.C. Thursday.
WASHINGTON >> For the first time since declaring his presidential run, Republican Donald Trump offered an extended apology to those who may have been hurt by his caustic comments, saying that he regrets some of what he’s said “in the heat of debate.”
“Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that,” the GOP nominee reading from prepared text, said at a rally in Charlotte, N.C. “And believe it or not, I regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain.”
He added: “Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues.” As the crowd cheered, Trump pledged to “always tell you the truth.”
The remarks came as Trump makes significant changes to a campaign that has struggled since the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions from self-created distractions. Earlier Thursday, Trump moved to invest nearly $5 million in battleground state advertising to address daunting challenges in the states that will make or break his White House ambitions. He also shook up his campaign in recent days, tapping a combative conservative media executive, Stephen Bannon, to serve as CEO of the campaign.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign said Trump’s statement of regret for causing pain was just him reading words from a teleprompter.
Clinton spokeswoman Christina Reynolds said in a statement that Trump’s speech only revealed that, “his speechwriter and teleprompter knows he has much for which he should apologize, ” adding that Trump should specify which of his “offensive, bullying and divisive comments he regrets — and changes his tune.”
Election Day is 81 days away, with early voting in the first states set to begin in five weeks.
The New York businessman’s campaign reserved television ad space over the coming 10 days in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to Kantar Media’s political ad tracker. While Democrat Hillary Clinton has spent more than $75 million on advertising in 10 states since locking up her party’s nomination, Trump’s new investment marks his first of the general election season.
The step into swing-state advertising, which came after Trump’s second staffing shake-up in as many months, did little to alleviate the concerns of Republican officials frustrated with Trump’s refusal to adopt the tools of modern-day political campaigns.
“We may have reached the point of no return for Donald Trump,” said Republican strategist Alex Conant, a senior aide to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign.
In addition to Bannon, Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway filled the campaign manager position left vacant since Trump fired his former campaign chief almost two months ago.
But Trump struck a new, inclusive tone today, as he worked to improve his dismal poll numbers among non-white voters.
“I will not rest until children of every color in this country are fully included in the American Dream,” he said.
Conway insisted that the new team would help re-focus the nominee, without sacrificing the authenticity that fueled his successful primary campaign.
“We’re going to sharpen the message,” Conway told CNN. “We’re going to make sure Donald Trump is comfortable about being in his own skin — that he doesn’t lose that authenticity that you simply can’t buy and a pollster can’t give you. Voters know if you’re comfortable in your own skin.”
Rarely do presidential campaigns wait to advertise, or undergo such leadership tumult, at such a late stage of the general election.
Yet Trump has struggled badly in recent weeks to offer voters a consistent message, overshadowing formal policy speeches with a steady stream of self-created controversies, including a public feud with an American Muslim family whose son was killed while serving in the U.S. military in Iraq.
He now trails Clinton in preference polls of most key battleground states. And his party leaders, even at the Republican National Committee, have already conceded they may divert resources away from the presidential contest in favor of vulnerable Senate and House candidates if things don’t improve.
Trump’s advertising plans highlight his shrinking path to the presidency.
Although Trump claims his popularity with white, working-class voters could translate to victories in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine or Connecticut, there’s little evidence to back that up. His first major ad buys shows him focused on more conventional battlegrounds.
Trump is spending at least $1.4 million in Florida, $1 million in Pennsylvania, about $831,000 in North Carolina and $746,000 in Ohio, according to Kantar Media. His biggest single-market investment comes in the Philadelphia area.
“That is the most direct route to 270,” said Chris Young, RNC field director. “Those states are critical on that pathway.”
Trump has struggled so far with women, minorities and young voters.
“His performance with those voters is so dismal that it puts other states potentially in play in an offensive way for Democrats,” said Jeremy Bird, who ran field operations for President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign and is now advising Clinton’s operation.
Some people want this guy to be the one to decide if we drop the bomb on a perceived enemy. If he is elected, we are in big trouble. Of course, he’ll say I didn’t mean to drop the bomb but it was done it in the heat of the moment on a bad day.
Dude, you need to adjust the rabbit ears on your aluminum foil hat.
Perhaps what Mr Mililani is trying to convey is that this is another example of why Trump is not presidential material, but we knew that already.
Oh, I get it now, thanks for the clarification. Of course if Hillary drops the bomb on a perceived enemy she will just say it was a senior moment. Maybe you 2 can compare notes on aluminum foil hat adjustments.
“why TRUMP is not presidential material”??
Yo Buckwheat! What about that class-less, clue-less tacky trash we put in the White House 8 years ago? Never had a real job in his life, let alone an executive decision making job. But that did not stop him from writing two “memoirs”.
Indeed the only reason anyone voted for this America-loathing ultra left wing extremist was the color of his skin. Doubt that? Ask yourself this: if a person so devoid of ANY qualification for office had showed up at the Iowa caucus in 2008 seeking the presidency who was WHITE, how many microseconds would it have taken for such a pretentious boob to be driven off the stage to a chorus of derisive belly laughs ~~ and of course Hilllary’s shrill delighted cackle?
Voting for someone because of skin color is every bit as racist as voting against someone for the same reason.
You need to stop obsessing on Clinton. Blaming Hillary is the number one strategy for diverting focus on anything that has to do with Trump. When the subject of how Trump intends to “Make America Great Again,” or the stoopid things he says daily, Trumpzis are unable to address them logically.
I feel sorry for you Trump fan boys and girls. You’ll be numb with realization on election day.
IF Donnie Trump wins in November, it will be a sign of the hand of Providence at work, a sign that despite our foolish secular ways, God has not abandoned us here in the New World, because we sought to reject Him in the 20th century.
Unlike the residents of Sodom [a la ‘sodomy’] and Gomorrah, we still have a precious opportunity to seek mercy and ask for forgiveness.
“God hung His rainbow
“As a sign:
“Won’t be water
“But the FIRE next time”
Are we REALLY than eager to experience the INFERNO by electing Hillary?
Then again, we have been endowed with free will by our Creator.
Thos now it’s if the Chump wins? What happened to to arrogant as–ones that were so sure that victory for the Chump was undeniable. I guess we aka ” the sheeple ” were right all along.
thos – How long have you been such a remarkable coward?
Truth stings, eh wot, Klas-less?
Show me a single modern country that is successful under non-secular governance……waiting–crickets???!
thos – You did not write anything true. You wrote about a fairy tale. And the fact that you’re afraid.
This man will get very sick on eating all that humble pie?
I’m glad he finally made that statement but one just can’t unsee the images of the statues unfortunately.
We’ll see how long this will last because i don’t think that Trump.
I would not regret about the comment about the father. trump said the son died a hero. but the father, that the news media was hiding is that once a week kahn has a radio show that goes through to Pakistan and he preaches about the Islamic terrorist Sharia Law. when Kahn pulled out his constitution trump should have pulled out a bigger one and tell him my constitution tells how it is illegal for anyone sneaking across the border to enter the U.S, but your’s kahhn is about letting illegals come into this country from central America, mexico and the middle east so your nothing but a Islamic jihadist who hate America.
Please keep encouraging Mr. Trump. That strategy has worked great for him so far!
Subject: Earthquake
A big earthquake with the strength of 8.1 on the Richter
scale hits the Middle East.
Two million Muslims die and over a million are injured.
Iraq, Iran and Syria are totally ruined and the governments ask for help to
rebuild.
The rest of the world is in shock
Britain is sending troops to help keep the peace.
Saudi Arabia is sending oil & monetary assistance
Latin American countries are sending clothing
New Zealand and Australia are sending sheep, cattle and food
crop
The Asian countries are sending labor to assist in
rebuilding the infrastructure
Canada is sending medical teams and supplies
The new American President, Donald Trump, not to be outdone,
is sending two million replacement Muslims.
God Bless President Trump!
Yeah….He’s got MY vote for sure!!!
and praise be to allah..
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???
Apeman, don’t take everything so seriously.
Louisiana is under water, Obama is taking a water hazard drop. He’s enjoying his vacation. What difference at this point does it matter. Screw the American People.
Nobody knows where he was 9/11-12/2012 when he left it to Bad Judgement Hilliary. 4 Americans died but what difference at this point does it matter.
She blamed it on a video of her and Huma doing the Huma Huma .
The witch is going to lose.
Lespark you are a sick puppy. To use this scenario with the deaths of millions of Muslims to elevate your praise for the Chump is vile and disgusting. Be very careful of what you say cause karma can be a bit-h.
I’ve always thought that you’re just a racist, bigoted imbecile. This suggests that you’re instead profoundly mentally ill.
When the facts support your position, stick with facts. When the facts do NOT support your position, launch personal, ad hominem attacks against opposing counsel.
That IS what they taught you the day they taught law at your law school, right Klas-less?
Perhaps it is time you reviewed the risk inherent in the clumsy mis-use of the ‘reductio ad absurdum’ gambit.
I already suggested that you develop the self discipline to not read my comments. I couldn’t care less what your opinions of them are.
“For the first time since declaring his presidential run, Republican Donald Trump offered an extended apology to those who may have been hurt by his caustic comments, saying that he regrets some of what he’s said “in the heat of debate.” ”
by contrast, the female felon has never apologized for lying to the public, the f.b.i., congress or to the surviving members of the benghazi massacre. she has never apologized for accepting bribes and laundering money through the clinton foundation, and never apologized for allowing state department employees to work simultaneously at the foundation.
but, that’s not going to be covered by the clinton press fluffers.
He wasn’t apologizing because he meant it. He was reading what some slightly smarter people wrote on a teleprompter, because he’s afraid of being embarrassed on election day.
Seriously, doesn’t he look like a frightened dork reading a canned speech? How can you look up to a deflated guy like that? It’s okay to give up on him; the less time you waste following his empty promises, the better. I’m sure Melania is already planning her exit.
So what’s new here? Hillary does nothing but read canned speeches produced by writers and vetted by her advisers. She hasn’t given a press conference in half a year, as her handlers don’t want her be “off the cuff”.
His apology was as enthusiastic as his endorsement of the other republican candidates like the speaker of the house. It was so insincere. He could start by publicly apologizing to McCain and other.
this was a scripted speech and it contained many lies. he admitted that he made some bad statements but did not apologize to those who he had denigrated. hence, it was insincere. also, he is now using Hillary’s motto, “we”. before it was “I”. you can tell he was uncomfortable giving the speech, primarily because he did not mean many of the things he said. he did not smile nor sounded sincere; it was forced and without passion. this guy is a liar.
Another disgrace to be added to the democrats rapidly growing list………………….
So, the Dems had to pay actors to fill up seats at their convention and
now we learn they paid Khan??
Khan was paid $25,000 by the Clinton campaign to speak at the DNC.
The speech was not written by Mr. Khan, but by two campaign staffers.
The copy of the US Constitution that Mr. Khan held up was bought only
two HOURS before his speech by a female staffer, to be used solely as a
prop and Khan returned the book after speaking.
5 Gold Star families turned down the opportunity to speak before Khan
was contacted by the Clinton campaign.
All five families were paid $5,000 and signed a non disclosure.
Khan’s immigration law firm is in debt $1.7M and owes back taxes of
upward $850,000 plus penalties.
CNN paid Khan over $100,000 to tell his “story” and repeated
interviews across networks.
Khan was given a bonus of $175k by the DNC for his effort in the
media.
The IRS has since put Khan’s tax file on a “hold” status.
Is this guy going to claim this on his taxes?? And doesn’t this
disgrace the memory of his son?? Talk about soulless
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You are in a serious meltdown mode. Your comments are reflective of a person who is very unstable and on the brink of a mental collapse. You can only blame yourself for your condition. You have sold your soul to the Devil and he is knocking on your door to collect what is owed to him.
Trying the change the subject, Sportin’ Blood?
That dog won’t hunt.
But given the weakness of your position, it is understandable why you would try to change the subject.
lespark, do you spend your whole day searching the Internet for any article of any quality, from any source, just to avoid the inevitable truth? Trump lacks comprehension of what he’s doing, and will fall to a humiliating defeat on election day.
Rather than chasing an empty dream that will betray you, you should say to yourself: “Trump isn’t thoughtful enough to run a large organization. Trump is too self-centered to care about me. Trump is a profiteer, not a helper. Trump is going to lose, so I might as well get off his wagon.” The sooner, the better.
Somehow Trump supporters are able to rail against the media then go out and copy and paste articles from the Internet, which is now part of mainstream media. Most of the same people are unable to actually debate anything substantial or with any actual thought behind what they are saying. They prefer to sit in rapture listening to Trump’s speech’s again and again and again.
It doesn’t matter. His campaign is in shambles and he’s losing in every single poll – mostly by double digits. Just be entertained by his spectacular failure.
Have any Trumpsters found this helpful article?
The Many Scandals of Donald Trump: A Cheat Sheet:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/donald-trump-scandals/474726/
A wolf in sheeps clothing? A shark is, a shark, is always a shark. Perhaps good for a businessman but not as President of the US.
It’s strange when Trump supporters, who have ardently supported all his derogatory comments, now applaud his “I regret” speech. Yet, they are unable to say what specific comments he’s apologizing for. Awkward!
The most pitiable one is that dumb blonde Trump Supporter on CNN, who says it was “one of the greatest political speeches in history!” Umm….NO. Is she hoping that he notices and makes her wife #4? After Melania dumps him, of course.