I absolutely think shorts impact the stock price, but shorting a stock isn't manipulation.
I think some quant programs and some DMA manipulate the bid offer etc but I really don't think it has a big impact on the primary trend. But it likely increases intraday and daily volatility.
I think there are also a lot of momentum Traders who jump on stocks going up or down, but this isn't manipulation.
Maybe we just have a different definition here.
1PG Price at posting:
48.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Not Held