APPLETON, Wisconsin (AP) – Donald Trump says his decision to stand behind his campaign manager, who was charged in an altercation with a female reporter, is a sign of loyalty – a trait that Trump has displayed, for better or worse, through much of his career.
The Republican presidential candidate said in an interview that he wouldn’t have accepted Corey Lewandowski’s resignation even if it had been offered. But he also seemed to acknowledge that he’s had a difficult week leading into what could be a crucial primary in Wisconsin Tuesday.
When asked whether Lewandowski had offered his resignation at any point this week, Trump replied, “Well I’d rather not say, but it wouldn’t have mattered.”
“When I looked at that tape, I said I’m just not going to hurt this man by doing something that should not be done,” he said in a brief phone interview with The Associated Press Thursday evening.
Lewandowski was charged with simple battery, accused of grabbing a Breitbart News reporter’s arm after a press conference, an encounter that was captured on surveillance footage. And that was just the start of a difficult week for Trump, who was already under fire for comments about rival Ted Cruz’s wife.