Montana GOP congressional candidate Greg Gianforte physically attacked a reporter Wednesday after becoming so incensed that the man, a journalist with The Guardian, had the audacity to put a recorder near his face and ask him a question about health care.
Gianforte’s campaign blamed the “liberal journalist” for the attack, claiming that Jacobs was the one who showed the “aggressive behavior.” The campaign said Jacobs “aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face and began asking badgering questions. ... Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg’s wrist and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground.”
But a Fox News crew that witnessed the event disputed that account and described an attack that went beyond body slamming. They said the congressional candidate “grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him.” He then began punching Jacobs and “yelling something to the effect of, ‘I’m sick and tired of this!’”
They also said they never saw Jacobs show any physical aggression. The special election between Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist takes place Thursday.
Taking questions from the press is a regular part of being a politician. Every day that members of Congress are in Washington they’re confronted by reporters ― with their recorders ― trying to ask them questions, including on hot topics such as the Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of a health care bill.
And, believe it or not, the vast majority of lawmakers are able to handle this task without resorting to physical violence. Some proof:
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