Donald Trump just can’t catch a break. 
On Tuesday Florida police charged Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, with misdemeanor battery following an incident the manager had earlier this month with reporter Michelle Fields.
Fields, a former Fox News Channel contributor, claimed Lewandowski grabbed and yanked her arm as she approached the presidential candidate to ask him a question. For proof, the journalist posted a photo of her bruised arm on social media.
The response was predictable — Trump and his campaign vehemently denied the event and Fields eventually resigned from her post at Breitbart News. But when surveillance footage backed up her claim, Fields had the ammunition she needed to file a charge of battery against Lewandowski — who is now scheduled to appear before a judge on May 4.
In the time between, the conversation is sure to make deviations and tangents. Expect discussion on the role of the journalist, treatment of women in the political sphere and many other concepts that share little relevancy to the actual case itself, because the real story here isn’t about what happened — it’s about how both parties reacted. While Fields has stuck to her story since the beginning, both Trump and Lewandowski have tried every avenue to discredit the journalist.
In his Twitter feed, Trump has repeatedly tried to undermine Fields, posting images that suggest she was harassing him, or maybe even planning something sinister. In one of the images, in which Fields appears to be trying to get Trump’s attention by nudging his arm, Trump wrote “Why is this reporter touching me as I leave news conference? (sic) What is in her hand?” By my account, the reporter seems to be holding a pen. But in Trump’s mind, the best defense against the allegation is not adhering to the truth — it’s firing right back with his own twisted take.
This has dire implications on his possible presidency. In the ever-connected modern world, cooperation is key. If our president cannot achieve diplomacy with the people intended to give him free press, how can we expect him to ever achieve diplomacy with a group not at all interested in conversation? Trump is a man adept at building relational bridges — as evidenced by his massive following and support — but he’s even better at burning them. His first reaction is to always assume correctness and force the hand of whoever is involved, and this is not a good trait for the president — it’s evidence of a sociopath. 
So as these proceedings play out, pay attention to the rhetoric used by both sides of the fence. Fields will most likely stick to evidence and “I” statements — statements that indicate presence and self-consciousness — while Lewandowski will likely try all he can to indict Fields as both perpetrator and victim. If Lewandowski is anything like Trump, he’ll weasel out of any blame thrown at him and redirect it at his opponent. There’s no telling if the same strategy will be as effective in court as it is in debates, though.
Regardless, there is a bright side. Because most people don’t read past the headline, most will walk away from this event with just one thought: “Trump’s campaign manager was charged with battery.” And that might be enough to turn them off Trump altogether.