Brad Parscale: Trump campaign aide steps down over ‘stress’ after arrest

Announcement comes less than a week after former campaign manager hospitalised after arrest

Brad Parscale, who was demoted as Donald Trump’s campaign manager several months ago, has stepped down from the president’s re-election bid following a recent arrest.

The announcement on Wednesday comes less than a week after police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, detained the Trump-aide outside his home.

Mr Parscale had a stand-off with a police SWAT team for more than an hour on Friday, following reports from his wife, Candice Parscale, that he had threatened to shoot himself.  

He was later hospitalised under Florida state laws covering community and self harm, whilst one weapon was removed from the home.

Mr Parscale had been Mr Trump's campaign manager until July, when he was demoted to a senior advisory role within the president’s reelection bid.

The president, who championed Mr Parscale as the man behind his 2016 election win, was said to have been outraged over a “come back” campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that was widely panned, with low attendance.

Announcing Mr Parscale’s replacement, Mr Trump had written in a statement that he was “pleased to announce that Bill Stepien has been promoted to the role of Trump Campaign Manager,”

“Brad Parscale, who has been with me for a very long time and has led our tremendous digital and data strategies, will remain in that role, while being a Senior Advisor to the campaign,” wrote the president.

In that position, Mr Parscale had been working on the campaign's digital effort, producing ads aimed at helping the president ahead of the 3 November election.

Mr Parscale said in a statement issued to Politico that he was stepping away from the re-election effort and getting help for what he called “€œoverwhelming stress” on him and his family.

Additional reporting by Reuters.