Donald Trump aide launches bizarre defence when asked about losing to Hillary Clinton in polls: 'Says who?'

'Polls. Most of them. All of them,' replies CNN political correspondent Brianna Keilar

The Trump campaign team has attracted much attention during the billionaire's presidential bid – often for all the wrong reasons.

And just as Donald Trump announced an overhaul of his top staff, his team was brought into the limelight again by his lawyer and senior aide’s stubborn response to a question about bad poll numbers.

“You say it’s not a shake-up, but you guys are down,” CNN political correspondent Brianna Keilar put to Michael Cohen, who has been Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization since 2007 and is involved in the businessman’s presidential campaign.

In national polls, Hillary Clinton currently holds a 8.6 point lead over Mr Trump, according to the poll tracking website trumpxclinton.com.

But perhaps Mr Cohen had not seen the latest data – or seemed to have trouble believing it. Interrupting Ms Keilar, he asked: “Says who?”

“Polls. Most of them. All of them,” she replied.

Mr Trump’s recent reset of his campaign staff saw campaign chairman Paul Manafort demoted as conservative media executive Stephen Bannon was hired as campaign chief executive and Kellyanne Conway, his main pollster, promoted to be his campaign manager.

The changes show Mr Trump rebelling against efforts by some in his campaign – Mr Manafort in particular – to tackle his ‘shock-jock’ reputation and and transform him into a candidate more closely conforming to what the Republican Party and donors want to see.

Mr Manafort has recently been at the centre of controversy relating to reports about his business links to Ukraine and post-Soviet oligarchs.

After an awkward pause, Mr Cohen asked again: “Says who?”

“Polls. I just told you, I answered your question,” said Ms Keilar. “Ok. Which polls?” said Mr Cohen, to which she replied: “All of them”

‘Ok. And your question is?’ he asked.

Mr Bannon, who will take leave from his position as CEO of the conservative site Breitbart News to help the Trump campaign, played host to Nigel Farage at a gathering of the most conservative faction of the Republican Party outside Washington DC last year.

“I've known both of them for a long time,” Mr Trump said of Ms Conway and Mr Bannon after the news of his reshuffle broke on Wednesday.

“They're terrific people, they're winners, they're champs, and we need to win it.”