Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski will not be prosecuted on battery charge

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign manager, who was charged in Florida (US) in March with battery on a reporter, will not be prosecuted, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing sources with knowledge of the situation.

Corey Lewandowski was charged with intentionally grabbing and bruising the arm of Michelle Fields, then a reporter for the conservative news outlet Breitbart, when she tried to question Trump at a campaign event on March 8. Palm Beach County State Attorney David Aronberg is scheduled to announce the decision not to press charges against Lewandowski on Thursday afternoon, Politico said.

Trump repeatedly defended Lewandowski throughout a day of campaigning in Wisconsin. He also rescinded a previous pledge to support the Republican presidential nominee if it is not him. "No, not anymore," he said when asked if he would honour his previous pledge.

At a CNN town hall on Tuesday night, Trump said he would remain loyal to his campaign manager and that Lewandowski would remain on the job even though it might be more convenient on behalf of his campaign to "terminate this man, ruin his life, ruin his family ... ruin his whole everything and say: 'You're fired.'"

Trump also questioned Fields' original description of the incident in which she said she was almost yanked to the ground by Lewandowski. He wondered aloud if she had posed a threat to him because she approached him with an ink pen. "She had a pen in her hand that could've been a knife," Trump said.

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