The Donald Trump saga continues. After months of conduct that would have doomed any other candidate, such as rivalries with networks and various people, lies, insults and off-putting promises, the GOP frontrunner may soon be going back to basics: lawsuits.
You may remember from earlier this week that Trump's aide, Corey Lewandowski, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery for forcefully grabbing ex-Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Fla. Well, Trump, as he is oft known to do, is fighting back. Not against the man who has potentially imperiled his campaign, mind you - but Fields, the alleged victim in the case.
Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday morning, Trump revealed that he is considering legal action against Fields, saying that her claim of battery was one that shouldn't have been made.
He dismissed the charges as "very minor," saying that "practically nothing happened." He then went on to talk about the possibility of a counter-claim.
"I'm sure there will be a counter-claim coming down the line," he added. "Should I file charges against her because she touched my arm as well?"
Trump's statements on Wednesday are consistent with the stance he had assumed since the allegations against Lewandowski emerged: innocence.
"How do you know those bruises weren't there before? I'm not a lawyer," Trump told reporters on his plane, referring to finger-shaped bruises that Fields showed to the police. "Wouldn't you think she would have yelled out a scream or something if she has bruises on her arm?"
It was very much of the same on Wednesday.
"Her face wasn't that of a woman screaming in pain," Trump said. "He didn't try to throw her to the ground. You look at Twitter, people think it's a total disgrace she's filing charges," he said, referring to the Jupiter Police Department's investigation revealing probable cause to charge Lewandowski. "This case, let it go to court."
And go to court it shall. Come May 4, Lewandowski is expected to appear in Palm Beach County Circuit Court to answer for the battery charges.
With all this said and done, what happens now? If Lewandowski is not found guilty then it would be more of the same for a campaign that has evaded essentially every bullet since it began last year. Yes, there is the possibility of an appeal and the media, as well as the public, will certainly remember what transpired, but legally the complaints are null and void.
On the other hand, what if he's found guilty? Will Lewandowski's guilt tarnish Trump's viability as a candidate in the eyes of his supporters? Probably not. Though some have seen that Trump is not all that he's made himself out to be, the majority have stuck by him through every controversy because they believe he will shake up the system and "Make America Great Again." There's no reason to assume that now will be any different - even if there is video evidence that proves his aide's guilt.
And so Trump marches on, against all odds, ever closer to the Republican nomination.
