Trump: Reporter claiming physical altercation ‘made the story up’

Donald Trump says that the reporter claiming she was manhandled by his campaign manager at a rally this week is making the story up.

Speaking to CNN reporter Dylan Byers following Thursday night’s Republican presidential debate in Miami, Trump said there’s no evidence to support the claim by Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, who says Trump’s top lieutenant, Corey Lewandowski, got rough with her at a press conference.

{mosads}“I wasn’t involved in it, but the Secret Service that was surrounding everybody, they said nothing happened,” Trump said. “Everybody said nothing happened. Perhaps she made the story up. I think that’s what happened.”

Several media outlets have reported that Lewandowski grabbed Fields by the arm during a press conference as she tried to ask the GOP front-runner a question.

Fields did not personally identify Lewandowski but was reportedly told it was him by another journalist who was present. She has said she was “shaken” by the incident and tweeted a picture of bruises on her arm.

The Trump campaign pushed back strongly on Thursday as the story exploded among journalists on social media.
 
“There are often large crowds aggressively seeking access to Mr. Trump, and our staff would never do anything to harm another individual, while at the same time understanding that Mr. Trump and his personal space should never be invaded,” spokeswoman Hope Hicks said.
 
The campaign also accused Fields of having a “pattern of exaggerating incidents” and said “she has become part of the news story as opposed to reporting it” on several occasions.
 
Fields responded by tweeting a picture of bruises on her arm.

“I guess these just magically appeared on me,” she said.

Lewandowski tweeted early Friday morning:

@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you.

— Corey Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 11, 2016