Miami, Fla. - Speaking to reporters in the spin room after the CNN GOP primary debate, candidate Donald Trump denied campaign manager Corey Lewandowski roughed up or assaulted Breitbart political reporter Michelle Fields at a campaign event earlier this week.
"I don't think it ever happened because he was surrounded by Secret Service agents, many of them who were with me and I didn't see anything happen," Trump said.
When asked if Trump had seen the bruises left on Field's arm, he suggested they didn't get there because Lewandowski grabbed her and then suggested the media "check her out."
"Oh I don't know how they got there," Trump said. "You have to check her out, just check her out."
I guess these just magically appeared on me @CLewandowski_ @realDonaldTrump. So weird. pic.twitter.com/oD8c4D7tw3
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) March 10, 2016
Earlier today Washington Post reporter Ben Terris, who witnessed the incident, published a lengthy piece detailing what happened.
As security parted the masses to give him passage out of the chandelier-lit ballroom, Michelle Fields, a young reporter for Trump-friendly Breitbart News, pressed forward to ask the Republican front-runner a question. I watched as a man with short-cropped hair and a suit grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the way. He was Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s 41-year-old campaign manager.
Fields stumbled. Finger-shaped bruises formed on her arm.
“I’m just a little spooked,” she said, a tear streaming down her face. “No one has grabbed me like that before.”
POLITICO published audio this evening backing up Field's side of the story.
Fields: “Mr. Trump, you went after the late Scalia for affirmative action, do you -- are you still against affirmative action?"
Voice (allegedly Corey Lewandowski): “Excuse me, thank you.”
A few moments later (noise of the room can be heard)...
Terris: “You OK?"
Fields: “Holy sh*t."
Terris: “Yea he just threw you down."
Fields: “I can’t believe he just did that that was so hard. Was that Corey?"
Terris: “Yeah, like, what threat were you?"
Fields: "That was insane. You should have felt how hard he grabbed me. That's insane. I’ve never had anyone do that to me from a campaign."
Terris: “Can I put that in my story?"
Fields: “Yeah, go for it — that was really awful. That’s so unprofessional.”
Terris: “He really just almost threw you down on the ground."
Fields: “He literally went like this and was grabbing me down. I don’t even what to do [about] what he just did to me. Oh my God, that really spooked me that someone would do that."
Terris: “What threat were you?"
Fields: “Nothing. I was asking about affirmative action."
Terris: “And he probably knows you, right?"
Fields: “Yeah, I don’t understand. That looks horrible. You’re going after a Breitbart reporter, the people who are nicest to you?"
Terris: “I know, I’m going to put it in my story."
According to the Daily Beast, Lewandowski told Breitbart reporter Matt Boyle yesterday he did in fact manhandle Fields because he thought she was part of a hostile press. This morning, Lewandowski and the Trump campaign denied the incident ever occurred and Lewandowski took to Twitter to further attack Fields.