NARAL calls for Trump campaign manager to step aside

Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was charged with battery in a case involving a reporter.

Police in Jupiter, Florida, allege Lewandowski grabbed reporter Michelle Fields and yanked her away from the Republican presidential candidate when Fields was attempting to ask a question.

The police report states, "Lewandowski grabbed Fields' left arm with his right hand causing her to turn and step back." The charge of battery is a misdemeanor.

The legal complaint against Lewandowski was filed three weeks ago and new video evidence is circulating this week.

Lewandowski, in denying the accusation, tweeted earlier this month: "@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you."

NARAL, a national abortion rights group, previously called on the Trump campaign to cooperate with the investigation.

On March 29, Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said, “Donald Trump needs to have a zero tolerance policy for abusive behavior of any kind. How a candidate runs a campaign is a window into how they would run the country. Not only has Trump campaigned for policies that undermine women and our families, but he has treated women with a disdain and dismissiveness that is unmatched in modern American politics.

She continued, "We’ve already seen how this attitude has infected his increasingly violent rallies and now it seems to have found a safe harbor amongst his staff. The longer Donald Trump tolerates and encourages this outrageous behavior on his campaign, the more it becomes clear that he intends to bring this attitude with him to the Oval Office. Trump should immediately place his campaign manager on leave until the charges against him have been settled."

The Trump campaign, in a statement, said, "Mr. Lewandowski is absolutely innocent of this charge. He will enter a plea of not guilty and looks forward to his day in court. He is completely confident that he will be exonerated."

Trump, who was campaigning in Wisconsin on March 29, said in a Tweet: "Wow, Corey Lewandowski, my campaign manager and a very decent man, was just charged with assaulting a reporter. Look at tapes-nothing there!"