Paul Manafort, President-elect Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, said Friday that he’s not “active” in the transition process but that he’s aware of how things are playing out.
Asked if he’s talking to Mr. Trump, Mr. Manafort said he didn’t want to get into who he’s been speaking to, though he said he’s “watching.”
“But I’m aware of what’s going on,” he said on “CBS This Morning.”
Asked whether incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus or top strategist Stephen Bannon is in charge, Mr. Manafort said: “Donald Trump.”
“Transitions are by definition a work in progress,” he said. “By the time it gets figured out, the inauguration happens.”
He said overall, though, it’s been a “very aggressive, positive event.”
Mr. Manafort resigned as campaign chairman in August amid questions over alleged business ties to pro-Russia elements in Ukraine.
“I became a block to his ability to communicate his message,” Mr. Manafort said. “I didn’t think it was fair; the allegations were not true.”
“But the reality is I became a block, and my goal was to get Donald Trump elected president of the United States,” he said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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