Several public figures step up to defend congressional candidate Greg Gianforte’s reaction to a Guardian reporter’s questions about healthcare.<\/b>
\nAfter he was accused of physically attacking a reporter, Greg Gianforte had some very visible defenders while he went invisible for election day Thursday.
The Republican candidate for Montana\u2019s open congressional seat canceled his national TV appearances after he was charged with misdemeanor assault on suspicion of body-slamming a national reporter for the Guardian at his campaign headquarters in Bozeman.
Audio of the apparent attack went viral and Montana\u2019s largest newspapers rescinded their endorsements less than 24 hours before polls were set to close Thursday night in Gianforte\u2019s race against Democrat Rob Quist, who had not commented on the incident.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) called on Gianforte to apologize, saying: \u201cThere’s no time where a physical altercation should occur with the press or just between human beings.\u201d
Yet Gianforte had plenty of prominent allies who either blew off or strongly hinted justification for Gianforte\u2019s alleged assault on a journalist, Ben Jacobs, who had asked him about healthcare policy.
\u201cIt\u2019s not appropriate behavior. Unless the reporter deserved it, \u201d Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) said, according to a tweet by the Associated Press’ Mary Clare Jalonick.
Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center, has been a subject of unflattering stories written by Jacobs, and was among those who turned to Twitter to share his opinion.
\u201cJacobs is an obnoxious, dishonest first class jerk, \u201d Bozell wrote. \u201cI’m not surprised he got smacked.\u201d
\u201cWhat kind of a wuss files charges over broken glasses?\u201d tweeted Derek Hunter, a contributing editor at the Daily Caller. \u201cSomeone who wants to influence an outcome, that’s who. #JournalismIsDead \u201d
Laura Ingraham, editor in chief of LifeZette, a conservative publication, challenged Jacobs\u2019 manhood for calling the police on Gianforte.
\u201cPoliticians always need to keep their cool. But what would most Montana men do if \u2018body slammed\u2019 for no reason by another man?\u201d Ingraham tweeted. \u201cDid anyone get his lunch money stolen today and then run to tell the recess monitor?\u201d
Popular radio host Rush Limbaugh took a similar route.
\u201cI must join the chorus of people condemning what happened out there, \u201d Limbaugh said on his show. \u201cThis manly, obviously studly Republican candidate in Montana took the occasion to beat up a pajama-clad journalist, a Pajama Boy journalist out there.\u201d
In a statement Wednesday, Gianforte\u2019s campaign initially painted Jacobs as a \u201cliberal\u201d aggressor who accidentally sent himself tumbling to the ground after Gianforte grabbed Jacobs\u2019 phone and Jacobs grabbed Gianforte\u2019s wrist. (Jacobs later called the campaign\u2019s account untrue.)
But it turned out the incident was witnessed by a Fox News crew, who soon provided a far more violent account of events. Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna wrote of being stunned when \u201cGianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground, \u201d adding that \u201cat no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte.\u201d
Yet on Thursday, some conservatives, including Ingraham, tried to poke holes in Acuna\u2019s account and alleged that the Fox News journalist was changing her story. (Acuna wasn\u2019 t .)
Later Thursday, some Fox News commentators offered justifications for Gianforte\u2019s behavior in on-air appearances.
\u201cApparently this snowflake reporter invaded Gianforte\u2019s safe space, and we have a saying up there: You mess around, you mess around, you might not be around, \u201d former Navy SEAL Robert J. O\u2019 Neill said on Fox News\u2019 \u201cSpecialists\u201d show, complaining about journalist\u2019s \u201cambush\u201d tactics.
\u201cI\u2019 m not condoning the body-slam, \u201d said O\u2019 Neill, who took part in the raid to kill Osama bin Laden. But he quickly added: \u201cI think it\u2019s kind of funny, based on my history…. You\u2019 ll get the bull\u2019s horns in Montana.\u201d
One of the show\u2019s contributors, Rachel Campos-Duffy, added of Jacobs: \u201cThis guy was not a reporter looking for a fair story. He was obviously doing a takedown on him… and he got a little bit of Montana justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 1.1<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: -0.7<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

TW posts: 24<\/div>\n

TW reposts: 69<\/div>\n

TW likes: 113<\/div>\n

TW sentiment: -4.3<\/div>\n<\/div>\n