In his first speech since his campaign shake-up Thursday night, Donald Trump said for the first time that he regrets some of the caustic comments he’s made that may have caused people pain.
“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 said at a rally in Charlotte, N.C. Thursday night. “And believe it or not, I regret it — and I do regret it — particularly where it may have caused personal pain.”
Trump didn’t specify what comments he was referring to, but he added that, “Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues.”
In this anti-climatic moment of humanity, the media had a meltdown. The front page of CNN Friday morning was blasted with bold black letters stating, “A New Trump?” And MSNBC attributes his humanity to the upcoming debate with the headline, “Trump admits regret in ‘heat of debate’.”
While Trump has previously said that he prefers “not to regret anything,” this admission is a clear reflection of the situation he currently finds himself in. Party leaders have conceded they may divert resources away from the presidential contest in favor of vulnerable Senate and House candidates if things don’t improve.
The remarks came a day after Trump announced that he was overhauling his campaign operation, bringing in a new chief executive and appointing a new campaign manager. Rarely do presidential campaigns wait to advertise, or undergo such leadership tumult, at such a late stage of the general election.
Trump’s decision to tap Stephen Bannon, a combative conservative media executive, as his new campaign chief suggested to some that he might continue his brash rhetoric that has angered many.
But a Trump emerged on Thursday as a less combative, more inclusive candidate who said he was running to be the “voice for every forgotten part of this country that has been waiting and hoping for a better future” and for those who “don’t hear anyone speaking for them.”
And the changes appear to be more than cosmetic. 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.
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 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.
Trump also made a last-minute scheduling change, scrapping a planned event in New York in order to travel with his running mate Mike Pence to tour the flood damage in Louisiana on Friday morning.
But the visit was met with harsh words from Gov. John Bel Edwards, whose spokesman Richard Carbo said, “We welcome him to LA, but not for a photo-op.”
In his remarks, Trump struck a new, inclusive tone and tried to appeal directly to non-white voters, who have so far resisted his candidacy.
“I will not rest until children of every color in this country are fully included in the American Dream,” Trump said, urging African-American voters to give him a chance.
“What do you have to lose by trying something new?” he asked.
Clinton’s campaign, meanwhile, brushed off the speech as just words he read from a teleprompter.
“Donald Trump literally started his campaign by insulting people. He has continued to do so through each of the 428 days from then until now, without shame or regret,” said spokeswoman Christina Reynolds in a statement.
“We learned tonight that his speechwriter and teleprompter knows he has much for which he should apologize. But that apology tonight is simply a well-written phrase until he tells us which of his many offensive, bullying and divisive comments he regrets and changes his tune altogether,” she said.
It remains to be seen whether Trump’s reboot comes too late, and whether he has the discipline to maintain it.
But several Trump supporters at the rally applauded the move.
“It takes a lot of strength to say, ‘I’m sorry, ‘ to admit — not that he was wrong, but he wished he hadn’t done it,” said Cindy Ammons, 70, a Trump supporter from Spindale, North Carolina. “I think he’s evolving,” she said.
Still, some said it was unnecessary.
“I think the regime wanted him to say it. It was damage control,” said Jeff Devers, 46, visiting from Arkansas. “But I personally don’t regret anything that he’s said. What he has said should have been said, politically correct or not.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Trump, human ? He has been misquoted once again. Subhuman, he must have meant !
No, he meant Superhuman!
Nelson … Troll / Shill name of the day.
Trump is a good man that will save our USA. I like the way he talks. Political Correctness is killing this country. Trump has a loving heart and bright soul.
He is caring if Americans. I want to know why Obama has not been impeached for treason and take Biden and Clinton with him? All have sold Americans down the river.
Nonsense! He is a hateful bigoted conceited person with no moral center and no apparent intellect of restraint necessary to lead a country. He functions off of prejudice and self aggrandizement and has no qualities as a leader of America. But then neither of the two candidates qualify.
Hey Troll, read it and weep!
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Donald Trump (88%, 2,396 Votes)
Hillary Clinton (5%, 139 Votes)
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Total Voters: 2,723
THIS (ABC) LIVE POLL SHOWS THE REAL RESULTS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE! SO FAR,OVER 2700 PEOPLE HAVE VOTED AND TRUMP HAS 88% OF THE VOTE, HILLARY HAS 5%!!
GO VOTE NOW BEFORE GEORGE SOROS AND HILLARY MAKE THEM TAKE THIS POLL DOWN!
Donald Trump (88%, 2,396 Votes)
Hillary Clinton (5%, 139 Votes)
Jill Stein (4%, 107 Votes)
Gary Johnson (3%, 78 Votes)
Total Voters: 2,723
http://abcnewsgo.co/2016/08/ab…
WOW, a human politician, imagine that.
I don’t know whether “El Tejas” was being sarcastic in his comment, but I find it refreshing to have Mr. Trump admit that he is human after all. Everyone, even Donald Trump, deserves to be given credit for admitting to making mistakes. It would be just as refreshing if Hillary Clinton actually admitted to making mistakes when she lied about her E-Mails. Now, that would be news! I gather that “El Tejas” has no skeletons in his closet! But even you, “El Tejas”, have a right to comment whichever way you want to. After all, this is the United States of America, and free speech is allowed. Aren’t you lucky to live in this great country!
I’m willing to give Mr. Trump some slack, because he’s not a career politician. If he was a lifelong political hack, then he’d know how to say everything just right. Mr. Trump has progressed this far in the Presidential race because of the public anger at the current political process. So it’s nice that Trump is an amateur politician. But he really needs to focus on showing the voters his plan to straighten out some of the mess in Washington, D.C.. Just don’t rush to tweet every time one of Hillary’s operatives tries to bait him.
no one will ever catch Hillary admitting she made a mistake. She is too far above that. Besides, she can always find someone else to blame.
Wow He`s human….. however Killary won`t admit to anything cause she`s not!
Hillary is Satan in drag.
It’s a crime for the Clinton’s to admit and own up to the mistakes they make. Hitlery Killery ROTTON Ayatollah Khoemeni Clinton has a very serious allergy-the very serious allergy is telling the truth and taking & admitting as well as owning up to the mistakes she’s made & makes.
HKRAKC will break out in a very serious rash if she admits that she’s human, subhuman, superhuman, tells the truth, takes responsibility.
HKRAKC would be in total complete isolation at a hospital if she broke out in a very serious rash for being truthful, she’ll contaminate not only that hospital, but everything within a 25 square mile radius, that there would have to be a mass evacuation.
I can see her claiming she doesn’t remember therefore getting a pass again.
We all have said and done things we regret. I am glad to hear him express his regrets. Political races are tough and almost all folks running for election have committed these mistakes. It takes some humility to admit them.publicaly. I believe him and accept his statement. We all deserve a redo for our mistakes.
I think most people can see that Donald Trump has made a number of mistakes in his campaign. If he doesn’t think he has made any mistakes he is either lying to himself or he is delusional.
His decision to go after the Kahn family was a huge mistake. Donald is on his third wife and has had several business failures. If he doesn’t think he has made any mistakes he has no sense of reality.
He has made mistakes he knows it. He has over 500 businesses that not all panned out his vision. That odds are hugely in his favor. He is a positive thinker. Clinton self served herself for years. Has lied to EVERYONE. He is human he is not a crooked politician. I Love ❤ his directness’ and direction. People if we do not elect him we then will see NWO and we will have no rights. Plus we lose everything never Hillary. It’s Mr trumps time. You have his hard work and dedication and his family who won’t let him Fail.
Being Human, myself, I can see how it is necessary, at times, to admit one’s mistakes. It is not okay to continue making mistakes (lies, theft, deceit, and perhaps killings) and blame others.
Donald J. Trump at least he admits he’s human, has nothing to hide, is an open book for all to see & read. Hitlery Killery ROTTON Ayatollah Khoemeni Clinton(HKRAKC) is a coward, lies, enjoys lying, cheating, stealing, having people murdered, bullying, pushing people around, being bigoted, racist, Facist, power hungry, greedy, selfish, snobbish, evil, wicked, crooked, corrupt, venal, egotistical, rude, snotty, bossy, arrogant. HKRAKC makes the Queen of Hearts in Alice in wonderland, the wicked with of the West in the Wizard of Oz, the step mother, the 2 step sisters in Cinderella, the Queen in Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs, all of the Mafia bosses of the past & present, the street gang members of the past & present, the street drug pushers of the past & present, the con artists of the past & present all look like new born BABYS in a hospital nursery in comparison.
Fools! The con artist is simply changing his stripes.
He is realizing that being an ass about everything that came out of his mouth in the past months is not gaining him the favors he would like, and it looks as though continuing on the same path is going to spell disaster for the RP, they have finally gotten him to control his ego and talk like a civilized human (if that is possible with his arrogance). He is now trying to change his persona to one more acceptable to decent people in the hopes of salvaging the election.
The man is a con and always will be; this happens to be his new strategy.
It should be acknowledged that some of what he speaks about needs to be addressed, but his bullish way of going about it is despicable.
Oh and yesterday he says he will always tell the people the truth. What a hypocrite. He’s been telling lies since he started campaigning and twists thing around by saying it was sarcasm.
The guy is an absolute egotistical jerk, yet because of his money and brash approach, many have fallen under his spell. Sieg Heil! Mein Fuhrer!