Former Trump campaign chair returns to help with Republican convention

The former campaign chair of former President Donald Trump's first election campaign has made a grand return to the Trump team this year, to help them ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.

Corey Lewandowski, who served as Trump’s first campaign chair during the 2016 campaign, is helping to advise the campaign on the convention and delegate process, according to The Hill. It is not clear what he would do, if anything, after the convention is over. 

Lewandowski, a long time Trump ally, has been in and out of the former president's orbit for years. Besides serving as his first chair, which he was removed from over disagreements on strategy and replaced with Kellyanne Conway and Paul Manafort, Lewandowski has helped lead a pro-Trump Super PAC, and written two books that defends and favors his former boss. 

“He’s very helpful to me, and he’s helpful to the RNC, and he’s helpful to the president,” Trump’s 2024 campaign adviser Chris LaCivita told the National Review.

It is not clear when Lewandowski returned to Trump's ranks, but he was paid by the RNC for "management consulting" on April 24, according to a filing Monday with the Federal Election Commission, Politico reported. The move comes as Trump attempts to install his allies in top positions on the committee. Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump, married to his son Eric Trump, is one of the RNC's co-chairs.

The national convention will take place from July 15-18, 2024. Lewandowski has not commented on his return so far.