Controversial Campaign Manager Lewandowski Out at Trump Campaign: Report

Corey Lewandowski, the often controversial political operative who led Donald Trump's campaign to become the presumptive Republican nominee, is leaving the campaign, according to a New York Times report Monday.

A Trump spokeswoman did not give a reason for the split or say whether the decision was Lewandowski's or the campaign's. But an unnamed source in the Times report said his departure is timed to a pivot by the campaign toward the general election, in which Trump will presumably face former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after besting a field of Republican foes.

Corey Lewandowski waits before the start of a Donald Trump foreign policy speech April 27 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Lewandowski has been known for his abrasive management style, clashing with other campaign staffers as well as members of the media. He became part of the news cycle in March after former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields said he grabbed her arm after a press conference in Florida. A Palm Beach County state attorney decided not to prosecute Lewandowski in April.

Fields responded to the staffing change Monday morning in a tweet:

And there seemed to be no love lost between Lewandowski and Trump adviser Michael Caputo, who put his reaction in terms from "The Wizard of Oz."

The move comes as the Trump campaign has started to slip in national polls.

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