Donald Trump’s campaign manager is a jerk and it’s a damn shame people don’t care

Donald Trump’s campaign manager is a jerk and bully — that’s now official thanks to an incident that led police to charge him with simple battery.

But it won’t matter, because there will be zero consequences for Trump. And it’s not because he jettisoned Corey Lewandowski after Lewandowski manhandled a lady.

He didn’t.

No, Trump won’t face any consequences in spite of the fact that he didn’t fire Lewandowski and he’s actually standing by the jerk.

The incident in question occurred between Lewandowski and Michelle Fields — a journalist who was then working for Breitbart News — after a bizarre press conference where Trump trotted out “Trump Steaks” and “Trump Water.” Surveillance footage from that night shows Lewandowski grabbed Fields as she tried to talk to Trump and apparently did so hard enough that she was left with bruises.

A man getting rough with a woman is not usually national news, especially when it is far from the worst case of assault we’ve seen. But this was done in the presence of a man who wants to be our president and perpetrated by a guy who is supposed to make that man palatable to the voting public.

Lewandowski’s been described as a “pencil-necked twerp” who’s about 5 1/2 feet tall and weighs “a buck thirty sopping wet.” One wouldn’t imagine he could do much damage.

But I’ve found bullies of this variety can be the worst. They’ve been pushed around so much, they’re willing to dish it out to anyone — especially women — that they see as no threat to them physically.

According to the police report, “Lewandowski grabbed Fields’ left arm with his right hand causing her to turn and step back” and that Fields forearm “appeared to show a grabbing-type injury.”

“Mr. Lewandowski is absolutely innocent of this charge,” Trump said in a statement. “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.”

It’s a wonder that Trump didn’t go on to reiterate his claim that he could “…stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.” Because that’s the thinking inside the campaign isn’t it?

“He was not arrested,” campaign communications manager Hope Hicks said of Lewandowski, trying to make things seem super sunny. Lewandowski did turn himself in to Jupiter, Florida police, however.

Those cops, by the way, might as well have come from the planet Jupiter. That’s how far away I feel from the 2016 electoral process and the 2016 electorate — about 365 million miles.

While Lewandowski might not have a great upcoming day in court, what really matters is what happens in the court of public opinion, right?  And that’s where Trump will continue to win because he’s right: A good chunk of his followers wouldn’t care if he shot somebody.

So why should they give a damn if some lousy broad who dares to question the all-mighty-and-powerful Trump gets a little roughed up?

If they’re husbands, if they are men who have sisters or if they are the father of girls (I’m guilty on all three counts), they should give a damn. And if one is a woman, you’d really think they’d give a damn.

But I’ve had enough people block me on Twitter, write me nasty emails and actually physically shun me after I questioned anything about Trump or his opinions to know that all some people give a damn about is getting Donald Trump elected president.

And that’s a damn shame. Because somewhere along the way, shame should come into play in 2016.

Follow @JimSharpe