Donald Trump
Donald TrumpReuters

For the first time since declaring his presidential run, Republican nominee Donald Trump on Thursday offered an extended apology to those who may have been hurt by his caustic comments.

Trump, speaking at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, said some of his controversial comments were made "in the heat of debate."

"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. I have done that," the GOP nominee said, according to The Associated Press.

"And believe it or not, I regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain," he stressed.

"Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues," said Trump, who promised the crowd to "always tell you the truth."

The remarks came as Trump makes significant changes to his campaign which has struggled since the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions from self-created distractions.

He has shaken up his campaign in recent days, tapping a combative conservative media executive, Stephen Bannon, to serve as CEO of the campaign, noted AP.

As well, the New York businessman's campaign reserved television ad space over the coming 10 days in swing-states Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Trump also struck a new, inclusive tone on Thursday, as he worked to improve his dismal pole numbers among non-white voters.

"I will not rest until children of every color in this country are fully included in the American Dream," he said, according to AP.

Polls have not been kind to Trump, showing that his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton has a lead of anywhere from 4 percentage points – according to a Pew poll released Thursday – to as high as 7 points.

Trump has struggled badly in recent weeks to offer voters a consistent message, overshadowing formal policy speeches with a steady stream of self-created controversies, including a public feud with an American Muslim family whose son was killed while serving in the U.S. military in Iraq.