By Meleasie Goviro – EM TV International
Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was charged with battery after allegations that he forcefully grabbed a female reporter at a campaign event.
Police in Jupiter, Florida, recently released a video of showing reporter Michelle Fields walking alongside Trump and trying to question him. Lewandowski is seen grabbing her arm and pulling her backward.
In initial statemen’s by Fields, before the video was released, she claimed that Lewandowski had forcefully jolted her backwards and almost threw her to the ground.
Lewandowski had previously claimed on Twitter that he never touched her and denied ever meeting her.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, however, defended his campaign manager saying the accusations were exaggerated and unfair on him.
“If you look at her, my book and according to a lot of people, she’s grabbing at me and he’s acting as an intermediary trying to block her from doing that. The news conference was over. It was done. It was finished and she was running up and grabbing and asking questions and she wasn’t supposed to be doing that,” he said.
Fields chose to maintain her statement otherwise.
Trump repeatedly reaffirmed Lewandowski’s innocence and said he would continue as his campaign manager throughout his trial.
Other presidential candidates however, had a lot to say on the incident.
U.S. Democratic presidential front-runner, Hillary Clinton said the arrest of Trump’s campaign manager reflected on his rhetoric campaign, deeming him responsible for it.
His campaign style, which includes personal insults directed at rivals and scathing criticism of protesters, has been criticized for encouraging violent behaviour.
“I think there’s been a lot of rhetoric as well as behaviour coming from Donald Trump’s campaign that is concerning to many people, including many women. And therefore, as people are making up their minds to vote here in Wisconsin and in the contests remaining, they ought to take a hard look at the example that candidates set, what words and actions they employ and hold them responsible. And that certainly applies to Mr. Trump, right?”
Meanwhile, Fields resigned from Breitbart less than a week after the incident, because the online news outlet’s refusal to stand behind her amid the allegations.
