Not that any of this is going to matter to Trump supporters but …

This certainly won’t put to rest any concerns that Donald Trump isn’t a true conservative amongst those who remain skeptical of his antics any time soon.

The Associated Press obtained a recording of a meeting between Trump’s new convention manager, Paul Manafort, and GOP elites, in which he readily admits that the Republican candidate’s entire shtick is nothing more than a carefully crafted act.

Via the AP:

Trump’s newly hired senior aide, Paul Manafort, made the case to Republican National Committee members that Trump has two personalities: one in private and one onstage.

“When he’s out on the stage, when he’s talking about the kinds of things he’s talking about on the stump, he’s projecting an image that’s for that purpose,” Manafort said in a private briefing.

“You’ll start to see more depth of the person, the real person. You’ll see a real different guy,” he said.

The Associated Press obtained a recording of the closed-door exchange.

“He gets it,” Manafort said of Trump’s need to moderate his personality. “The part that he’s been playing is evolving into the part that now you’ve been expecting, but he wasn’t ready for, because he had first to complete the first phase. The negatives will come down. The image is going to change.”

Manafort pretty much spelled it out in detail over and over again in these statements – Trump is the political equivalent to a used car salesman, saying and doing anything to complete the sale.

The report goes on to indicate that news of his evolving (haven’t we had enough of the current “evolving” President) was welcomed by some, but led to concerns from others about Trump’s authenticity.

Professor William Jacobson explained that Trump is simply a con man.

“Nothing can sway those who refuse to see that Trump is conning them,” Jacobson wrote. “He doesn’t respect you. He doesn’t like you. He is manipulating you to get what he wants.”

“It’s all a show,” he added.

Trump’s nearest challenger, Ted Cruz has been warning that he is trying to pull a fast one on the American people.

 

I’ve even had some Trump supporters say they simply don’t believe the bulk of this piece because it’s coming from the AP. So for you skeptics – here’s the god damn audio … all of it.

New reports indicate a series of campaign leaks have reared their ugly head ever since Manafort jumped on board Team Trump, and this seems to be the latest one.

Comment: Does this admission from Trump’s camp give you cause for concern? Or is he just saying what the GOP establishment wants to hear too? Do we need another President who says one thing to his base and another thing to the American people? Share your thoughts below.

Cross-posted at The Political Insider