Manafort resigns from Trump campaign

Top aide Paul Manafort resigned from Donald Trump's campaign on Friday, less than a week after the candidate re-shuffled his management team and amid news reports about Manafort's political activity in Ukraine.

“This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign," Trump said in a statement. "I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process."

Trump added that "Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success.”

The news comes just days after Trump brought on two new top campaign officials in a moves largely seen as a sidelining of Manafort.

Stephen Bannon, the executive chairman for Breitbart News, is the new campaign CEO, while pollster and consultant Kellyanne Conway is campaign manager. Trump had planned to retain Manafort as campaign chairman, but the veteran consultant opted to leave the campaign instead.

Manafort also leaves the campaign amid a rising number of news reports about his past work for pro-Russian political elements in Ukraine.

This is second change at the top of Trump's campaign in little more than two months. Trump fired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in June, a time at which Manafort ascended to the top of the organization.

In another sign of a new direction in the campaign, Trump on Thursday made an unusual admission of regret for some of his past comments.

"Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing," Trump told backers in Charlotte, N.C. "I have done that – and, believe it or not, I regret it ... And I do regret it – particularly where it may have caused personal pain."

Trump, who has been accused of offending Mexicans, Muslims, immigrants, the disabled and fellow Republicans such as John McCain during his 14-month presidential campaign did not specify which comments he regretted and said at one point that journalists have often taken him "out of context." Throughout the campaign, Trump has generally refused to apologize for remarks viewed as insensitive or insulting.