Donald Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was charged today with misdemeanor battery after allegedly grabbing former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields following a Trump event in Jupiter, Florida, in early March.1
Since the incident, the Trump campaign and Lewandowski himself have been involved in a he-said-she-said battle with Fields, as well as Washington Post reporter Ben Teriss, who says he witnessed Lewandowski grabbing Fields. But according to the Jupiter Police Department's arrest report, what clinched the charges against Lewandowski was this surveillance video:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/IGz5DPqU-p0
According to the police report, the video "parallels" Fields' story and clearly shows Lewandowski grabbing "Fields' left arm with his right hand, causing her to turn and step back." For the police, it was enough to bring charges against Lewandowski.
But the Internet—at least, the pro-Trump corner of the Internet—isn't buying it. Of course, for anyone who's been following Trump's campaign, that shouldn't come as a surprise. As we've written in the past, when it comes to the Republican frontrunner, no amount of fact-checking or evidence-finding ever seems to convince his followers to get off the Trump train.
Instead, the Internet gives people an outlet to become super sleuths, crafting their own theories and banding together with other believers who will validate those ideas and troll the common enemy. It's become an all too predictable roadmap for how people respond to controversy online. Often, trying to disprove those ideas with fact—or in this case, video—becomes nothing more than an exercise in futility.
Already, the YouTube comments section on the surveillance video is filling up with comments like "Oh its nothing. Moving on. Trump 2016," "That's it?" and "HE DID NOTHING, FREE COREY."
Meanwhile, on Twitter, Trump supporters are similarly unconvinced.
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The hashtag #IStandWithCorey even started to surface:
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The Trump campaign, for its part, has released a statement: "Mr. Lewandowski is absolutely innocent of this charge. He will enter a plea of not guilty and looks forward to his day in court."
We have little doubt as to who Trump supporters are more likely to believe.
1. Correction: 4:45 PM ET 3/29/2016 An earlier version of this story said Lewandowski was charged with misdemeanor assault. He was charged with misdemeanor battery.
