Donald Trump spent Tuesday unapologetically defending campaign manager Corey Lewandowski after he was charged with with misdemeanor battery for an incident with a reporter at a campaign event earlier this month.

“I think it’s a very very sad day in this country when a man could be destroyed over something like that,” Trump told reporters aboard his airplane in Wisconsin, where the GOP frontrunner is holding a rally.

The real estate mogul said he doesn’t “discard people” and that he hopes the criminal case does not hinder the role of one of his top political operatives.

Shortly before 8 a.m. ET, Lewandowski turned himself in to Jupiter, Florida, police on simple battery charges after an altercation with then-Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields on March 8. Lewandowski initially said he never touched Fields, but video released by police showed he did make contact with the journalist as she attempt to ask Trump a question.

Why is this reporter touching me as I leave news conference? What is in her hand?? pic.twitter.com/HQB8dl0fhn — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2016

Trump said he advised his political ally he should “never settle that case” and accused Fields of changing her story once video of the incident surfaced. He said he should be the one filing charges against Fields for grazing his arm at the event and questioned bruises she said she received from the alleged yank.

“How do you know those bruises weren’t there before? I’m not a lawyer,” Trump said.

Because my story never changed. Seriously, just stop lying. https://t.co/1fz9cBHOuT — Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) March 29, 2016

“My story never changed. Seriously, just stop lying,” Fields tweeted.

The Jupiter Police report stated the video, along with an interview with Fields and another reporter who witnessed the event, shows “probable cause exists to charge Corey Lewandowski” with one count of simple battery.

@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you. — Corey Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 11, 2016

I guess these just magically appeared on me @CLewandowski_ @realDonaldTrump. So weird. pic.twitter.com/oD8c4D7tw3 — Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) March 10, 2016

The allegations and subsequent denials from Lewandowski brought public attention to the relationship between the Trump campaign and the media, women, and violence at the Republican presidential frontrunner’s rallies. Trump has not wavered in his support for his campaign manager. Lewandowski stood just over Trump’s shoulder when the real estate mogul spoke after winning primaries in Florida, Illinois and North Carolina on March 15. “Good job, Corey,” Trump said. Close video New video plays role in Lewandowski charges MSNBC’s Ari Melber explains the charge that was filed against Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, for the alleged assault of a Breitbart reporter. MSNBC’s Ari Melber explains the charge that was filed against Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, for the alleged assault of a Breitbart reporter. share tweet email Embed Fields, along with three of her colleagues at Breitbart, resigned over the conservative news site’s skeptical response to her allegations. “I can’t stand with an organization that won’t stand by me,” Fields tweeted. “It’s a very sad development and this is the consequence of the culture of the Trump campaign,” Ted Cruz told reporters while campaigning in Wisconsin. “The abusive culture when you have a campaign that is built on personal insults, on attacks and now physical violence, that has no place in a political campaign, it has no place in our democracy.” John Kasich told reporters, “We probably would suspend somebody. You know, it would depend what it is and what the evidence was. But when we see things that we think are inappropriate, we take action and that’s what I would do and it’s up to him.” “That’s frankly totally and completely inappropriate. It could’ve been one of my daughters,” he later added. “I think that every candidate has to be responsible for what happens in their campaign and as I’ve said repeatedly–what Donald Trump has been doing over these last months is inciting violent behavior, aggressive behavior that I think is very dangerous and has resulted in attacks on people at his events and including this charge that was now brought against his campaign manager,” Democratic rival Hillary Clinton told reporters. “I’m not gonna comment on a pending legal or criminal case but I think that you know ultimately the responsibility is Mr. Trump’s.”

NBC News’ Tom Winter contributed. This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com.