A Sign of Things to Come?

 

Trump’s antagonistic relationship with the press is well documented and he’s treated with more disdain than any other candidate in the race. Nevertheless, many — myself included — were alarmed that Trump wishes to open up libel laws and were aghast when he appeared to condone his supporters’ roughing-up of a protester. Well, apparently the intimidation game has progressed to assaulting reporters:

According to multiple witnesses present at last night’s Donald Trump press conference, where he celebrated another string of primary victories by showing off his dubiously-branded line of products, Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski “forcibly yanked”Brietbart News reporter Michelle Fields, “nearly bringing her down to the ground” as she tried to ask a question of the Republican presidential frontrunner.

The incident was not recorded, but was corroborated by the Washington Post. Breitbart’s CEO also issued the following statement:

It’s obviously unacceptable that someone crossed a line and made physical contact with our reporter. What Michelle has told us directly is that someone “grabbed her arm” and while she did not see who it was, Ben Terris of the Washington Post told her that it was Corey Lewandowski. If that’s the case, Corey owes Michelle an immediate apology.

Is this a sign of things to come in a Trump presidency? Can anyone provide justification for this kind of behavior? At the very least, Trump should fire his campaign manager or whomever else was responsible.

Published in Politics
Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 55 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    & pop goes the weasel!

    • #31
  2. Matt Upton Inactive
    Matt Upton
    @MattUpton

    This is the problem with the PC culture and anti-PC backlash. When Trump kicked out Jorge Ramos because Ramos tried to Shanghai a press conference until he got an answer he wanted, a lot of journalists balked. Many people cheered on Trump for pushing back against a bullying journalist.

    Now another journalist is physically manhandled in the middle of a question (after a rally, not during a press conference). Again journalists clutch pearls and others cheer.

    There is no room for any discernment. It’s all just a contest of which class you favor.

    (I can hear the “Well duh, welcome to politics” responses now).

    • #32
  3. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    • #33
  4. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    J Pod’s on the case via Twitter, and going after someone that I’ve never heard of named Hope Hicks.

    I’d say this tweet from him  is pretty funny from any perspective:

    “Debate’s first question: “Mr. Rubio, Donald Trump’s campaign manager manhandled a woman. When are you getting out of the race?”

    • #34
  5. Quinn the Eskimo Member
    Quinn the Eskimo
    @

    Matt Upton: There is no room for any discernment. It’s all just a contest of which class you favor.

    People want to fight fire with fire.  And all that will be left are ashes.  Not even people.  Just ashes.

    • #35
  6. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Hoyacon: J Pod’s on the case via Twitter, and going after someone that I’ve never heard of named Hope Hicks.

    She’s Trump’s campaign communications manager.

    Hope. Hicks.

    If I wrote that in a novel I’d get a withering stare from my editor.

    • #36
  7. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    James Lileks:

    Hoyacon: J Pod’s on the case via Twitter, and going after someone that I’ve never heard of named Hope Hicks.

    She’s Trump’s campaign communications manager.

    Hope. Hicks.

    If I wrote that in a novel I’d get a withering stare from my editor.

    Obviously, your editor does not know America includes central casting-

    • #37
  8. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    James Lileks:

    Hoyacon: J Pod’s on the case via Twitter, and going after someone that I’ve never heard of named Hope Hicks.

    She’s Trump’s campaign communications manager.

    Ah, I see her referred to as a “mystery woman,” so maybe that explains my ignorance.  I do get some sense of why Trump was attracted to her qualifications.

    • #38
  9. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    The reporter said she was yanked backward without any remark from the campaign manager or a disparaging word from Trump. It’s possible she was yanked harder than intended but essentially pulled out of the way by the campaign manager trying to push through the crowd to join Trump in exiting.

    I’ve witnessed similar rudeness at train stations and have been told it’s normal. Heck, someone in a relatively small city shoved my tiny old grandmother just to be first on a train.

    Trump does regularly speak and act like a brute. I just wouldn’t assume this is an example of that.

    • #39
  10. Matt Upton Inactive
    Matt Upton
    @MattUpton

    Hoyacon: Ah, I see her referred to as a “mystery woman,” so maybe that explains my ignorance. I do get some sense of why Trump was attracted to her qualifications.

    Wait, in light of reviewing Ms. Hicks record I retract my previous statement and now insist that video be produced of this incident before we pass judgment. I would also accept a reenactment with both parties portraying themselves.

    • #40
  11. MikeHs Inactive
    MikeHs
    @MikeHs

    Lewandowski is a thug and should be fired.  Failure to do so says a lot about the Trump campaign crew, and Trump.

    • #41
  12. C. U. Douglas Coolidge
    C. U. Douglas
    @CUDouglas

    MikeHs:Lewandowski is a thug and should be fired. Failure to do so says a lot about the Trump campaign crew, and Trump.

    As noted on Three Martini Lunch today, the lackluster response from Breitbart.com says a lot about them, too.

    • #42
  13. MoltoVivace Inactive
    MoltoVivace
    @MoltoVivace

    Jamie Lockett:

    MoltoVivace: No proof, didn’t happen.

    Multiple corroborated accounts and the CEO of Breitbart, the most pro Trump outlet in existence, called for an apology.

    Maybe Trump wasn’t disrespecting his supporters intelligence when he said he could murder someone on 5th avenue and not lose support.

    Perhaps you didn’t understand what I wrote.

    No proof, didn’t happen.

    Also, I’m not a Trump supporter, but thanks for playing.

    • #43
  14. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    MoltoVivace:

    Jamie Lockett:

    MoltoVivace: No proof, didn’t happen.

    Multiple corroborated accounts and the CEO of Breitbart, the most pro Trump outlet in existence, called for an apology.

    Maybe Trump wasn’t disrespecting his supporters intelligence when he said he could murder someone on 5th avenue and not lose support.

    Perhaps you didn’t understand what I wrote.

    No proof, didn’t happen.

    Also, I’m not a Trump supporter, but thanks for playing.

    What would constitute proof in your mind?

    Multiple eye witnesses aren’t good enough? Maybe we should take DNA evidence from Ms Fields arm?

    • #44
  15. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/432634/after-alleged-assault-trump-campaign-launches-vicious-deceptive-attack-michelle-fields

    More evidence of the incident emerges including the Trump Campaigns utterly shameful response. Anyone supporting Trump is supporting a thug, anyone defending Trump on this should be ashamed of themselves.

    • #45
  16. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Grimly amusing to see Breitbart find itself treated this way. They should have seen it coming.

    • #46
  17. Quinn the Eskimo Member
    Quinn the Eskimo
    @

    Jamie Lockett: What would constitute proof in your mind?

    Have we been through this sort of thing before?

    I never had relations with that woman.

    There is no blue dress.

    She’s a crazy stalker.

    Old news.

    • #47
  18. Leigh Inactive
    Leigh
    @Leigh

    There is audio. Obviously it doesn’t show something that could only be shown by visual evidence, but it records the reporters’ first initial reactions, and they match the report.

    Terris: “You OK?”

    Fields: ****

    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.

    It happened.

    Listening to the audio, Terris is getting angry — “what threat were you?” — but she’s still too shaken. They’re both putting on their reporter hats instinctively, too, and neither of them can quite believe what just happened.

    • #48
  19. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Oh NOW a day or so later, “audio” conveniently surfaces. Wonder how long it took to coach them on their performances and add “crowd sounds.”

    Breitbart media will stop at nothing to take Trump down!!!

    • #49
  20. Leigh Inactive
    Leigh
    @Leigh

    James Lileks:Oh NOW a day or so later, “audio” conveniently surfaces. Wonder how long it took to coach them on their performances and add “crowd sounds.”

    Breitbart media will stop at nothing to take Trump down!!!

    Funny.

    Seriously, if it were staged they’d have made it more dramatic — there’s no moan of pain from her or anything like that. They actually sound less emotional than the transcript reads — more just stunned.

    • #50
  21. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Leigh: Seriously, if it were staged they’d have made it more dramatic — there’s no moan of pain from her or anything like that. They actually sound less emotional than the transcript reads — more just stunned.

    ALL THE MORE REASON to think it’s fake. You steeple have no idea what the GOPe / Jebromney / Breitblurt Axis of LIES can do LOL enjoy your white genocide

    • #51
  22. Leigh Inactive
    Leigh
    @Leigh

    James Lileks:

    Leigh: Seriously, if it were staged they’d have made it more dramatic — there’s no moan of pain from her or anything like that. They actually sound less emotional than the transcript reads — more just stunned.

    ALL THE MORE REASON to think it’s fake. You steeple have no idea what the GOPe / Jebromney / Breitblurt Axis of LIES can do LOL enjoy your white genocide

    Steeple? That’s a new insult to me. Is it a misspelling or does it mean something? Clearly my Twitter insult vocab is lacking.

    • #52
  23. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    Leigh:

    James Lileks:

    Leigh: Seriously, if it were staged they’d have made it more dramatic — there’s no moan of pain from her or anything like that. They actually sound less emotional than the transcript reads — more just stunned.

    ALL THE MORE REASON to think it’s fake. You steeple have no idea what the GOPe / Jebromney / Breitblurt Axis of LIES can do LOL enjoy your white genocide

    Steeple? That’s a new insult to me. Is it a misspelling or does it mean something? Clearly my Twitter insult vocab is lacking.

    So this all started with the mythical, now obsolete sheeple, in the days when Twitter was working its mighty way to lol nothing matters. Heady days, days of thunder, gone with the flu-

    There is an alternative theory at to the etymology: Blame the hippies. Witness:

    • #53
  24. Al Kennedy Inactive
    Al Kennedy
    @AlKennedy

    Guruforhire:Is it actually true? I generally assume anything said about trump to be a lie.

    David French writes about it on NRO.

    • #54
  25. Quinn the Eskimo Member
    Quinn the Eskimo
    @

    James Lileks: ALL THE MORE REASON to think it’s fake. You steeple have no idea what the GOPe / Jebromney / Breitblurt Axis of LIES can do LOL enjoy your white genocide

    I’m more of a sheeple than a steeple.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be meeting with the rest of the Elders of Zion about how the New World Order is coming along.  If I show up late, they’ll be out of doughnuts and I’ll get a lousy seat in the back.

    • #55
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.