Delaney shakes up top campaign staff

Former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) announced a shake-up of his 2020 presidential campaign on Tuesday as he works to qualify for the third round of Democratic primary debates in September.

In a press release Tuesday, the campaign announced a new focus on the economy, pointing to worrying signs in the market which Delaney blamed on President Trump’s mismanagement of the trade war with China.

{mosads}Along with the new focus came the announcement that Xan Fishman will take over as Delaney’s campaign manager, while previous campaign manager John Davis will head Delaney’s statewide efforts in Iowa.

Fishman previously served as Delaney’s congressional chief of staff and the 2020 effort’s deputy campaign manager.

“Congressman Delaney will draw upon his unique and compelling biography as the ONLY candidate in the race with significant private sector experience and federal public sector experience,” his campaign said Tuesday.

“In the coming weeks, Delaney will draw a sharp contrast between his economic policies and those of both President Trump and the rest of the Democratic field,” the press release continued.

Delaney said in a statement accompanying the announcement that the president was an “economic fraud” and warned that Trump was at risk of wrecking the U.S. economy.

“When Trump’s companies went bankrupt, he stayed rich; it was the workers that suffered. If Trump destroys our economy – which I hope does not happen – he’s not going to be the one that suffers the consequences. It will be hardworking Americans all across the country that will lose jobs and it will the next generation that will inherit his debts,” Delaney said.

The campaign announced its best day of fundraising last month after the second round of Democratic debates in Detroit, but he has yet to qualify for the upcoming contests in the fall, where the entrance barriers are much higher.