Culture

Here’s The Moment Donald Trump’s Campaign Manager Grabbed Breitbart Reporter Michelle Fields

After Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields claimed, with corroboration from the Washington Post‘s Ben Terris, that Republican front-runner Donald Trump‘s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, had violently grabbed her and yanked her away from the candidate for no apparent reason, all hell broke loose. Despite Fields’ personal testimony, Terris’ eyewitness account and an audio recording of the alleged incident, the Trump camp vehemently denied it ever happened. In fact, both Trump and Lewandowski countered that the “delusional” reporter had made it all up.

Thanks to new video evidence from C-SPAN, however, it seems both Fields and Terris’ memories of what happened are much closer to the truth than the Trump campaign’s counter allegations. There isn’t any audio, but once you know who’s who in the quick procession of Trump, his staffers, his security detail and the reporters asking him questions, it’s easy to see what happened. And what happened was this — Lewandowski did grab for Fields’ arm. Whether or not he actually got his hands on her or bruised her cannot be confirmed, but it was Lewandowski — and not a security guard as suggested by Fields’ Trump-friendly employer, Breitbart — who lunged for the reporter.

Towards the beginning of the 30-second clip, Terris (1) and Fields (2) are seen waiting with other reporters while Trump and his entourage pass by. Lewandowski (3) walks right behind the candidate. Note the darker blue/purple-ish shade of his dress shirt.

Why? Because in the next shot, which sees Trump and Fields already out of frame, but Terris (1) still in line, Lewandowski (2) and the security guard (3) are still trailing the candidate. Yes, they are sporting similar haircuts as stated by Breitbart, but their shirts don’t match.

Keep that in mind as the camera again focuses on Trump (1) and Fields (2), who at this point is asking him her question about affirmative action. A second after this shot, Lewandowski steps in to make the grab.

Again, Trump (1) and Fields (2) are still talking. Lewandowski (3) and the security guard (4) have caught up with them, but it’s the former whose arm is reaching for Fields’ off-white coat.

Neither Trump, Lewandowski nor anyone else from the campaign has responded to the C-SPAN video yet. The press, however, is having a field day with the new evidence.

https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/708376071968784384

https://twitter.com/AndrewKirell/status/708388609989222401

(Via Mediaite & The Daily Beast)