Republican strategist Karl Rove told Politico on Wednesday that he’s “never manhandled a reporter,” despite what Donald Trump implied on “Fox & Friends.”
Trump, who called into Fox News’ morning show to defend his campaign manager, was asked why he condoned Corey Lewandowski’s alleged roughing-up of a reporter.
“Karl Rove didn’t do it. David Plouffe didn’t do it, David Axelrod didn’t do it. That’s why you have Secret Service,” host Brian Kilmeade said, referring to former top campaign aides for George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Trump said there was no way to know if Rove and his Democratic counterparts hadn’t physically targeted reporters.
“You don’t know that they didn’t do it, because I guarantee you they did, probably did stuff that was more physical than this,” Trump said. “More physical, because this is not even physical.”
Rove, the longtime Bush campaign adviser, disputed this characterization in an email to Politico.
“Of course, I never manhandled a reporter or anyone else and Mr. Trump should not imply I did,” Rove wrote. “Making wild allegations is what he does to deflect attention from his own problems.”
