Breitbart News Network is calling for Corey Lewandowksi, Donald Trump’s campaign manager, to apologize for physically harming one of their reporters.
Michelle Fields attended a press conference on Tuesday night where, when she attempted to ask the Republican frontrunner a question, she writes someone “grabbed [her] tightly by the arm and yanked [her] down.” The Trump campaign soon responded to Fields’ claims by calling her accusation “entirely false.”
“As one of dozens of individuals present as Mr. Trump exited the press conference I did not witness any encounter,” Trump campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks said in a statement. “In addition to our staff, which had no knowledge of said situation, not a single camera or reporter of more than 100 in attendance captured the alleged incident.”
In fact, at least one reporter did witness the incident and wrote about it in the Washington Post. He even reported seeing “finger-shaped bruises” form on her arm, a claim that was corroborated when Fields posted a picture of those bruises on Twitter.
Https://twitter.com/MichelleFields/status/708005032839548929
Since the incident, Lewandowski has posted various tweets undermining Fields as a reporter, including calling her an “attention seeker.”
Daily Caller reporter assaulted by NYPD during ‘Occupy’ protests — professional reporting or attention seeking? Https://t.co/FqOQQMvNcy
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 10, 2016
Michelle Fields is an attention seeker who once claimed Allen West groped her but later went silent. Https://t.co/J86Ej42eYx
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 10, 2016
We're Calling Bullshit On Michelle Fields – GotNews https://t.co/VKpMaSLnmm
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 10, 2016
Breitbart News Network CEO and president Larry Solov has released a statement expressing support for Fields and requesting an apology from Lewandowski. “We are disappointed in the campaign’s response, in particular their effort to demean Michelle’s previous reporting. Michelle Fields is an intrepid reporter who has covered tough and dangerous stories,” he wrote. “We stand behind her reporting, her techniques, and call again on Corey Lewandowski to apologize.”
Update: POLITICO says they have received an audio recording of the incident. A transcript can be found here.