Trump, not Lewandowski, to blame for campaign's woes

It's reboot time for Donald Trump's campaign. Out is Corey Lewandowki's brusque manner and encouragement of petty grudges. In is Paul Manafort's efforts to set up a more professional operation. There's perhaps even an opening for Ivanka Trump to soften her father's image.

That's the theory, at least. By any metric — general election polling, favorability ratings, fundraising, state organization, relations with senior Republicans, #NeverTrump's sudden second wind — the Trump campaign could use a shakeup. Firing the campaign manager was a start, or at least a recognition by the candidate that something serious is wrong.

Lewandowski was said to be the leading proponent within the campaign of the "Let Trump be Trump." When Manafort and company tried to warn Trump off his self-defeating attacks on "Mexican" Judge Gonzalo Curiel, Lewandowski reportedly egged him on and urged himnot to apologize.

In a campaign beset by divisions and divisiveness, Lewandowski feuded with Manafort, the Republican National Committee, campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, young female Breitbart reporters, evenTrump's children and son-in-law.

But it's worth wondering whether Trump 2.0 is really possible. Lewandowski claims Manafort has been in "operational control" of the campaign since April 7. Even if not, we don't know for certain whether all the rumors about Lewandowski are true or the product of leaks from his enemies within the campaign — first seeking to engage him in a power struggle, then trying to deflect blame as Trump's poll numbers have tanked.