Donald Trump adds Corey Lewandowski, other longtime allies to 2024 campaign

WASHINGTON – Faced with a new challenge from Vice President Kamala Harris , the Donald Trump campaign moved Thursday to expand its staff, including longtime allies from his first two presidential bids.

Corey Lewandowski , Trump's first campaign manager during the 2016 presidential cycle, is among those coming aboard. He and Trump have had an up-and-down relationship over the years.

Trump fired Lewandowski as campaign manager in 2016, but he remained something of an informal adviser. In 2021, Trump's political organization cut ties to Lewandowski amid allegations of sexual misconduct lodged by a Trump donor. Lewandowski has denied the accusations.

"I’ve been with President @realDonaldTrump since Day 1, worked for him in 2016 & 2020, and I’m excited to be back on the Campaign Team to help deliver victory in 2024," Lewandowski shared on X.

Tim Murtaugh , who was communications director for Trump's 2020 campaign, is also joining Trump's third White House bid, the former president's campaign confirmed in a statement on Thursday.

Other additions – Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, and Alex Bruesewitz – have previously worked with MAGA, Inc. the Trump-aligned Super PAC.

These new advisers join the campaign after weeks in which Harris erased the polling lead that Trump had over President Joe Biden , who withdrew from the race last month. They also come ahead of the Democrats' convention, which kicks off next week.

The former president has not made major changes to his leadership team. Senior advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita are still in charge of the campaign overall.

In its statement, the campaign hailed their new hires, and said they "will help President Trump prosecute the case against Kamala Harris and Tim Walz." It's a jab at Harris and other prominent Democrats, who have long tried to cast the 2024 election as a race between California's former attorney general and the former president, who has faced sweeping indictments across four criminal cases.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump adds Corey Lewandowski, other longtime allies to 2024 campaign