Updated at 1:12 p.m. ET
Donald Trump on Tuesday addressed a misdemeanor battery charge filed against his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, by insisting that video of Lewandowski’s physical run-in with a reporter does not show his aide doing anything wrong.
Wow, Corey Lewandowski, my campaign manager and a very decent man, was just charged with assaulting a reporter. Look at tapes-nothing there!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2016
Why aren’t people looking at this reporters earliest statement as to what happened, that is before she found out the episode was on tape?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2016
Michelle Fields, the former Breitbart reporter that accused Lewandowski of grabbing her arm, quickly responded to Trump, saying that she never changed her description of the incident.
Because my story never changed. Seriously, just stop lying. https://t.co/1fz9cBHOuT
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) March 29, 2016
Police charged Lewandowski with misdemeanor battery on Tuesday, after Fields filed a report earlier this month alleging Lewandowski had grabbed her by the arm, nearly pulling her to the ground, when she tried to ask Trump a question at a press conference.
Police also released video they obtained from the venue on Tuesday that appears to show Lewandowski grab Fields by the arm.
Trump has stood by his campaign manager ever since Fields first accused him of grabbing her arm. The Republican presidential candidate brought Lewandowski on stage at a March 15 speech, just days after Fields accused Lewandowski of manhandling her. During that speech, Trump railed against the “really disgusting” media and told his campaign manager, “Corey, good job, Corey.”
Kind of sums up your whole campaign doesn’t it?
That thing you saw, you didnt see that,
I think earlier reports had her saying she was (?) knocked to the ground, rather than ‘nearly’? Video clearly shows him grabbing her however and that’s enough.
EDIT: BF said “tried”
This happened in Florida. She should have stood her ground and returned fire.
Her words were: “Someone had grabbed me tightly by the arm and yanked me down. I almost fell to the ground, but was able to maintain my balance.”
Lewandowski, on the other hand: “@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you.”
Trump, of course, says that the film totally exonerates his guy. Bring on the judge.