Radio host Michael Savage said Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski “should be given a medal by the U.S. government for protecting” Trump from “narcissistic maniac” reporter Michelle Fields, claiming she could have been a suicide bomber. Trump makes near-weekly appearances on Savage's program and has thanked the conservative host for his “amazing” support.

On March 29, Lewandowski was charged with simple battery after an incident earlier this month in Florida with Fields that left her bruised. As The New York Times noted, “new security-camera images show Mr. Lewandowski reaching for and then grabbing Ms. Fields's arm, tugging at her clothing as he pulls her, then walking ahead of her as she reacts, close behind Mr. Trump.” Lewandowski and the Trump campaign repeatedly lied about the encounter, and Trump has repeatedly attacked Fields in interviews since news of the arrest became public.

During his March 29 program, Savage hailed Lewandowski as a hero and smeared Fields as “a maniac, in my opinion. A narcissistic maniac.” He also doubted the legitimacy of bruises on Fields' arm, wondering if “her boyfriend didn't put the mark on the arm”:

MICHAEL SAVAGE: I was going to cover -- I probably will -- including the Breitbart setup of Trump with that reporter who has been made herself -- you know the reporter who said that Trump's aide attacked her with a little mark on her arm? How do we know her boyfriend didn't put the mark on the arm? And I watched the videotape.

[...]

She's a maniac, in my opinion. A narcissistic maniac. She makes Megyn Kelly look like Mother Teresa. So I'm sure that Roger Ailes will be calling any moment. I'm sure they got the shoes, they got the Manolos ready in the backroom, they got the stylist, they got the makeup artist -- they're ready for her. 

[...]

She coulda had a knife, coulda had a gun, coulda had an explosive vest, how do we know what she had? Why must you assume that he knew who she was? Lewandowski should be given a medal by the U.S. government for protecting the candidate from an unknown female assailant. And I think that they should consider bringing assault charges against her and teach her a good lesson. 

Savage is one of the country's most extreme radio personalities. The Cumulus Media-syndicated talker has called autism “a fraud, a racket,” said PTSD and depression sufferers are “losers,” advised people not to get flu shots because you can't trust the government, theorized liberals have been driven insane because of seltzer bubbles, claimed President Obama was intentionally trying “to infect the nation with Ebola,” and once told a caller he was a “sodomite” who should “get AIDS and die.”

Savage has endorsed Trump, saying he believes “he can win. Two, I believe he can save America.” Trump told Savage in January, “I appreciate your support, you've been so amazing.” He's also said Savage has “common sense” and helped him fuel conspiracy theories about the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death.