Republican Donald Trump has shaken up his struggling presidential campaign with moves to reinforce his insurgent, anti-Washington image but quickly encountered doubts on whether he is taking the right steps to boost slipping poll numbers.
Trump announced on Wednesday he had hired Steve Bannon, the pugnacious head of the conservative news website Breitbart News, as campaign CEO, a new position, while promoting senior adviser Kellyanne Conway to the position of campaign manager.
The appointments amounted to a demotion for Paul Manafort, who was brought on as campaign manager earlier this year to professionalise Trump's campaign but has struggled to get the New York businessman to rein in his freewheeling ways.
The shakeup takes place as Trump finds himself behind Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in national polls and in many battleground states, potentially facing a big defeat in the November 8 election that could also cost Republicans control of the US Congress.
Bannon's appointment suggested that Trump is aiming not so much to tone down his aggressive style but to be more disciplined in emphasising themes that resonate strongly with the voters he is trying to court, such as his stances on illegal immigration and withering personal criticism of Clinton.
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Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former campaign manager who was ousted in June, said on CNN that Bannon was "a street fighter," like himself.
Brian Walsh, a Republican strategist who has been critical of Trump in the past, said his embrace of Bannon seemed to indicate the New York businessman had no intention of changing tactics.
"He's rejecting efforts by political professionals to professionalise his campaign and he's going the route he went in the primaries: hard right. It's proven to be a disaster in the general election," Walsh said.
The shift to new leadership is never a good sign at this stage of a campaign, but some Republican strategists stressed that it was not too late for Trump.
"I've thought for a while that they've needed more smart, senior people and it looks like they just got them," said Republican strategist Charlie Black.
"It's only the middle of August. This race is going to be close in the end, but he does need to tighten up his performance."
The change is expected to lead to shorter, more policy-specific campaign speeches from Trump like the one he held in Milwaukee on Tuesday night when, instead of an hour-long, no-holds-barred performance, he made more focused remarks with the use of a teleprompter.
