Donald Trump and top adviser Roger Stone split as campaign turmoil intensifies
(NY MAG) -- The fallout from Donald Trump's toxic war of words with Fox News host Megyn Kelly continues: Less than 48 hours after the first GOP debate, top adviser Roger Stone has either been fired (Trump's version) or quit (Stone's). "Top adviser" is a relative term on the Trump campaign: As Gabriel Sherman reported earlier this week, the staff consists of only 3-4 people at any one time — the number fluctuates as people leave/ are fired — and this latest development is a continuation of infighting that's been going on for some time.
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Stone, a legendary political operator known for his colorful tactics and flamboyant persona, has been a major player for the Republicans since the early '80s. In his resignation letter, which his friends have shared online, Stone thanks Trump for their longtime relationship before elucidating on their schism:
"I was proud to have played a role in the launch of your presidential campaign. Your message of 'Make America Great Again' harkened back to the Reagan era. Restoring national pride and bringing jobs back to America - your initial and still underlying message - is a solid conservative message. In fact, it catapulted you instantly into a commanding lead in the race."
He goes on:
"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."
Though Trump claims that he fired his advisor, Stone cleared the air on Twitter to set the record straight, claiming that it was his decision to remove himself from the campaign:
There will undoubtedly be further developments as this story unfolds.
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