The Republican candidate for Montana’s congressional seat has been charged with misdemeanor assault after he is alleged to have slammed a Guardian reporter to the floor on the eve of the state’s special election, breaking his glasses and shouting: “Get the hell out of here.”

Ben Jacobs, a Guardian political reporter, was asking Greg Gianforte, a tech millionaire endorsed by Donald Trump, about the Republican healthcare plan when the candidate allegedly “body-slammed” the reporter.

“He took me to the ground,” Jacobs said by phone from the back of an ambulance. “I think he whaled on me once or twice … He got on me and I think he hit me … This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics.”

Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna, field producer Faith Mangan and photographer Keith Railey witnessed the incident at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Montana, according to an account published on the Fox News website. After Jacobs asked Gianforte his question, Acuna wrote: “Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him.

“Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of ‘I’m sick and tired of this!’ … To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff’s deputies.”

Jacobs subsequently reported the incident to the police. The Gallatin county sheriff’s office said on Wednesday night it had completed its investigation and that Gianforte had been issued with a charge of misdemeanour assault.

“Following multiple interviews and an investigation by the Gallatin county sheriff’s office it was determined there was probable cause to issue a citation to Greg Gianforte for misdemeanor assault,” sheriff Brian Gootkin said in a statement. “The nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements of felony assault. Greg Gianforte received a citation on Wednesday night and is scheduled to appear in Gallatin county justice court between now and 7 June 2017.”

A statement by campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon blamed Jacobs for the altercation, saying that he “entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face, and began asking badgering questions.”

“Jacobs was asked to leave,” the statement reads. “After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. 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.

“It’s unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.”

Scanlon’s account is contradicted by audio of the abortive interview recorded by Jacobs, as well as the Fox News account. The audio does not capture Jacobs being asked to leave or lower his recorder, but does contain an apparent reference to the Guardian’s previous attempts to report on Gianforte. “I’m sick and tired of you guys,” Gianforte said. “The last guy who came here did the same thing. Get the hell out of here. Get the hell out of here. The last guy did the same thing. Are you with the Guardian?”

“Yes! You just broke my glasses,” Jacobs replied.

“The last guy did the same damn thing,” Gianforte said.

“You just body slammed me and broke my glasses,” Jacobs said.

“Get the hell out of here,” Gianforte yelled.

At a press conference on Wednesday evening, sheriff Brian Gootkin said that there had been four witnesses to the altercation, in addition to Gianforte and Jacobs. Gianforte briefly spoke with sheriff’s deputies following the altercation but has not been interviewed. Gootkin said that he was not aware of any video of the incident. He also requested that reporters and members of the public stop calling Gallatin’s 911 dispatch.

According to campaign finance filings, Gootkin donated $250 to Gianforte’s campaign in March. Gootkin’s later statement acknowledged the contribution but said it had “nothing to do with our investigation which is now complete”.

Guardian US editor Lee Glendinning said in a statement: “The Guardian is deeply appalled by how our reporter, Ben Jacobs, was treated in the course of doing his job as a journalist while reporting on the Montana special election.”

“We are committed to holding power to account and we stand by Ben Jacobs and our team of reporters for the questions they ask and the reporting that is produced.”

The altercation took place at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. Gianforte was in a side room with a local television news crew when Jacobs attempted to ask his question, according to Jacobs.

“I decided there was no harm in asking one question, and the worst thing that could happen was they would tell me to go to hell,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs’s account was also partially confirmed by BuzzFeed News reporter Alexis Levinson, who wrote on Twitter that she had been in an adjacent room during the incident.

“This happened behind a half closed door, so I didn’t see it all, but here’s what it looked like from the outside – Ben walked into a room where a local TV crew was set up for an interview with Gianforte. All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben’s feet fly in the air as he hit the floor. Heard very angry yelling (as did all the volunteers in the room) – sounded like Gianforte…”

Levinson told the Guardian by phone that before the incident, she overheard Gianforte’s staff telling Jacobs that the campaign was upset with the Guardian’s previous reporting and that the candidate would likely not have time to talk to him. Jacobs then entered the side room to try to talk to Gianforte, whose campaign has been backed by robocalls to voters from Trump and his vice-president, Mike Pence.

On Tuesday, the Guardian published the latest episode of its video series Anywhere but Washington about the Montana special election. The video includes two instances when Gianforte refused to be interviewed by reporter Paul Lewis. Video producer Adithya Sambamurthy said Wednesday that he and Lewis had been “blindsided” by the candidate’s unwillingness to answer questions, because they had been in contact with the campaign spokesman prior to their trip. Gianforte eventually agreed to speak with the Guardian for the video.

The special election called when Ryan Zinke vacated his seat has attracted national attention, and spending has reached $17m as the race has tightened. Democrat Rob Quist is a political novice and folk singer. Quist declined to comment on the altercation when approached by reporters on Wednesday.

Gianforte is a tech mogul who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2016.

On 28 April, Jacobs reported on Gianforte’s financial ties to Russian companies that have been sanctioned by the US. Gianforte’s wealth is estimated at between $65m and $315m.

Last month, the Missoulian newspaper took Gianforte to task for his attitude toward the press. At an event hosted by the Advancing Conservatism Society, an audience member reportedly said: “Our biggest enemy is the news media. How can we rein in the news media?”

Gianforte responded by pointing at a reporter and saying: “We have someone right here. It seems like there is more of us than there is of him.” Gianforte later told the Billings Gazette that his comments were a joke.

The Missoulian editorial board interpreted Gianforte’s statement as “demonstrat[ing] Gianforte’s agreement that news media are ‘the enemy’”.

“While his apology is appreciated,” they wrote, “Gianforte needs to take pains to set a better example of civility from now on.”
• Support the Guardian’s fearless journalism by making a contribution or becoming a member</s>Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate in Montana’s special congressional election, has been charged with misdemeanor assault after he allegedly body slammed a reporter and broke his glasses on Wednesday night.

The altercation took place at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Bozeman, Montana, the night before the state’s special election. It sent political shock waves rippling through the race, with two local newspapers rescinding their support for the GOP candidate.

Ben Jacobs, a political reporter for the Guardian, said he had been asking Gianforte about the Republican healthcare plan when the candidate “body slammed” him and began shouting, “Get the hell out of here.”

“He took me to the ground,” Jacobs told his paper. “This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics.”

The audio file provided by Jacobs backs up his account of the incident and so did accounts by other journalists who witnessed the incident.

Gianforte received a citation on Wednesday night and is scheduled to appear in Gallatin County Justice Court between now and June 7, according to County Sheriff Brian Gootkin.

The nature of Jacobs’ injuries didn’t meet the statutory requirements for a felony assault charge, Gootkin said in a statement.

Before the charge was announced, Gianforte’s campaign blamed the altercation on Jacobs’ “aggressive behavior,” and offered a version of events at odds with the audio recording and witnesses.

“Tonight, as Greg was giving a separate interview in a private office, The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face, and began asking badgering questions,” the campaign said. “Jacobs was asked to leave. After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. 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. It’s unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.”

Fox News: Reporter didn’t show physical aggression

Late Wednesday, Fox News correspondent Alicia Acuna reported that she and her crew witnessed the incident and saw Gianforte grab Jacobs “by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him.”

“To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte,” Acuna wrote.

Jacobs was transferred to the Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital where he underwent x-rays on his elbow, according to his account of the story.

Sheriff Gootkin said four witnesses are being interviewed, in addition to Jacobs, in relation to the incident. He said authorities are not releasing the identities of the other witnesses at this time.

A filing from the Federal Election Commission indicates Gootkin donated $250 to Gianforte’s campaign in March. Gootkin confirmed the donation, but said it had no bearing on the investigation into Wednesday night’s altercation.

Newspapers yank endorsements

Gianforte suffered fallout from the incident when three local newspapers — the Missoulian, the Billings Gazette and the Independent Record — rescinded their endorsements of the GOP candidate.

“The Republican candidate for Congress not only lost the endorsement of this newspaper Wednesday night when, according to witnesses, he put his hands around the throat of a reporter asking him about his health care stance, threw him to the ground and punched him — he should lose the confidence of all Montanans,” the Missoulian said in an editorial.

The paper went on to say Gianforte “lacks the experience, brains and abilities to effectively represent Montana in any elected office.”

The Billings Gazette said it was “at a loss for words.”

“If what was heard on tape and described by eye-witnesses is accurate, the incident in Bozeman is nothing short of assault,” the newspaper wrote. “We wouldn’t condone it if it happened on the street. We wouldn’t condone it if it happened in a home or even a late-night bar fight. And we couldn’t accept it from a man who is running to become Montana’s lone Congressional representative.”

The Independent Record, which is based in Helena, Montana, said it would not condone this kind of violence.

“While we may not know all of the specifics of the incident until the investigation has concluded, we know that we can no longer support Gianforte’s candidacy,” it said.

Will it affect the election?

Supporters of Democratic candidate Rob Quist outside an event at a brewery in Missoula were in disagreement about how much effect the Gianforte incident would have on the race.

“It’s close, I think, and this could definitely make a difference,” said Charley Carpenter, a Missoula resident. “It should make a difference.”

Todd Mowbrey, 67, interjected that it wouldn’t make any difference for diehard Republican voters.

In Montana, any resident can vote absentee leading to questions about how much of an impact the late incident will have on the results. Both Republicans and Democrats expect that 7 in 10 voters will have already voted before the polls open tomorrow.

Quist himself said it was not his place to comment, and that he was just focused on the issues that are facing the people of Montana.

Kate Gadbow, who supports Quist, said that she was alarmed by the alleged events, noting that it is “an indication of how he would act under pressure.”

She said “the last thing we need is one more guy who flies off the handle.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a statement following the incident that Gianforte should “immediately withdraw his candidacy after his alleged violent assault of an innocent journalist.” It also called for House Speaker Paul Ryan to National Republican Campaign Committee to denounce the candidate and apologize.

Gianforte, an engineer and businessman, is running against Quist for the state’s lone congressional seat, which was vacated by Republican Ryan Zinke upon his appointment to United States Secretary of the Interior.

Late last month, Jacobs reported that Gianforte had nearly $250,000 in shares in two index funds that had investments in Russian companies which were under U.S. sanctions. The Guardian reported that a Gianforte spokesman said the candidate did not oversee his portfolio daily, but looked at its “overall performance.”</s>Three Montana newspapers have abruptly yanked their support for Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte over allegations he assaulted a reporter.

Gianforte is facing a misdemeanor assault charge after he allegedly body slammed a reporter for the Guardian on Wednesday night. Montana's special House election takes place Thursday.

During the day on Wednesday, Gianforte took to Twitter to celebrate his endorsements from the Missoulian, the Billings Gazette and the Independent Record.

But by early Thursday, the papers had all switched to a very different message: Gianforte is not the person they want representing Montana in Congress.

Missoulian: 'He lacks the experience, brains and abilities'

Less than two weeks ago, Montana's Missoulian newspaper endorsed Gianforte, saying he "has the education, experience, brains and abilities to be successful in Congress."

But the paper did a 180 after his altercation with Jacobs.

"He showed Wednesday night that he lacks the experience, brains and abilities to effectively represent Montana in any elected office," the paper said in an editorial.

"There is no doubt that Gianforte committed an act of terrible judgment that, if it doesn't land him in jail, also shouldn't land him in the U.S. House of Representatives," it said.

Billings Gazette: 'We simply cannot trust him'

The editorial board of the Billings Gazette had some doubts but decided to support Gianforte just days before the election.

"While we have serious concerns about many of Gianforte's positions on important topics like healthcare, education, and guns, we believe he is the best candidate in the race to represent Montana's interests in Congress," it said.

"We're at a loss for words," the Gazette said in an editorial condemning the candidate's actions.

"We believe that you cannot love America, love the Constitution, talk about the importance of a free press and then pummel a reporter," the editorial board said.

Independent Record: 'We cannot condone that kind of violence'

The Independent Record endorsed Gianforte earlier this month, saying he was the "best" of the candidates under consideration "even though we are not 100 percent supportive of his views."

"We believe Gianforte's ideology most closely matches the views of the majority of Montanans," it said.

But the newspaper withdrew its cautious support for him on Wednesday night, replacing it with sharp criticism.

"Democracy cannot exist without a free press, and both concepts are under attack" by Gianforte, the paper warned.

"We are also sick and tired -- of Gianforte's incessant attacks on the free press," it continued. "In the past, he has encouraged his supporters to boycott certain newspapers, singled out a reporter in a room to point out that he was outnumbered, and even made a joke out of the notion of choking a news writer, and these are not things we can continue to brush off."

CNN has reached to Gianforte's campaign for comment on the newspapers' latest comments about him.

As of early Thursday morning, the endorsements from the three papers were still posted on his campaign's website.</s>From the New York Times yesterday: "American spies collected information last summer revealing that senior Russian intelligence and political officials were discussing how to exert influence over Donald J. Trump through his advisers, according to three current and former American officials familiar with the intelligence. The conversations focused on Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman at the time, and Michael T. Flynn, a retired general who was advising Mr. Trump, the officials said. Both men had indirect ties to Russian officials, who appeared confident that each could be used to help shape Mr. Trump's opinions on Russia."

And there's this, from POLITICO: "Months after the FBI began examining Paul Manafort as part of a probe into ties between President Donald Trump's team and Russia, Manafort called Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus to push back against the mounting controversy, according to four people familiar with the call… Manafort had been forced to resign as Trump's campaign chairman five months earlier amid scrutiny of his work for Kremlin-aligned politicians and businessmen in Eastern Europe. But he had continued talking to various members of Trump's team, and had even had at least two conversations with Trump, according to people close to Manafort or Trump. While the people say the conversations were mostly of a political or, in some cases, personal nature, the conversation with Priebus, described by four people familiar with it, was related to the scandal now subsuming Manafort and the Trump presidency."

And from the Washington Post yesterday: "A secret document that officials say played a key role in then-FBI Director James B. Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation has long been viewed within the FBI as unreliable and possibly a fake, according to people familiar with its contents."

NBC's Saphora Smith notes that Trump is visiting a city he once called a "hellhole."

Worth noting, from The Guardian: "British police have stopped sharing evidence from the investigation into the terror network behind the Manchester bombing with the United States after a series of leaks left investigators and the government furious. The ban is limited to the Manchester investigation only. British police believe the leaks are unprecedented in their scope, frequency and potential damage."

NBC's Benjy Sarlin sums up the CBO report. "The GOP health care bill would insure 23 million fewer people than current law after a decade, while potentially impacting many with pre-existing conditions, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill would spend $1.1 trillion less on health care and use the savings primarily to finance large tax cuts for high-income earners and medical companies. While some Americans would see lower premiums, CBO concluded that many people with pre-existing conditions would no longer be able to afford insurance and that many who received coverage would pay thousands of dollars more in out-of-pocket expenses."

The Washington Post, with real talk about the CBO report: "Senate Republicans have all the evidence they need to reject the House-passed health-care overhaul"

OFF TO THE RACES: "Body slammed"

MT-AL: Driving the day: NBC: "A Montana sheriff has issued a citation for misdemeanor assault against Republican U.S. House candidate Greg Gianforte after a newspaper reporter said the politician "body slammed" him, an account that was backed up by witnesses. Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin said Gianforte was issued a citation Wednesday night. The incident occurred on the eve of Thursday's special election in which Gianforte faces a Democratic opponent for the state's open House seat. Guardian journalist Ben Jacobs was covering an event in Bozeman and tweeted the encounter at about 7 p.m. ET."

The Billings Gazette withdrew its endorsement: "While there are still questions left unanswered about GOP House hopeful Greg Gianforte's altercation with Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, eyewitness accounts, law enforcement investigations and records are all shocking, disturbing and without precedent. That's why The Billings Gazette editorial board is also doing something without precedent: We're rescinding our editorial endorsement of Greg Gianforte. Although we're greatly troubled by this action against a member of the media who was just doing his job, to make this an issue of media intrusion or even a passionate defense of the role of a free press during an election would be to miss the point."

So did The Missoulian: "He showed Wednesday night that he lacks the experience, brains and abilities to effectively represent Montana in any elected office."

And so did the Independent Record: "While we have always had serious concerns about Gianforte, which were noted in our endorsement of him, we are formally withdrawing that endorsement in light of Wednesday's developments. We take our endorsements seriously and retracting an endorsement even more seriously, but we cannot in good faith continue to support this candidate."

The LA Times noted before the incident last night: "[T]he election will turn less on national trends than circumstances close to home: on the personalities and histories of the main contestants, their different campaign styles and, perhaps most of all, on who is regarded as the more authentic Montanan."

GA-6: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "An ad unleashed Thursday by the Congressional Leadership Fund takes aim at Democrat Jon Ossoff's military credentials just ahead of the holiday break."

VA-GOV: In a new ad, Ed Gillespie is touting his experience and his ties to… George W. Bush(!)</s>Newspapers in Montana are pulling their support from GOP House candidate Greg Gianforte following an alleged physical altercation Wednesday with a reporter.

Three newspapers have rescinded their support for Gianforte, who was charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly slamming a reporter from The Guardian to the floor at the candidate's campaign headquarters in Bozeman.

The incident reportedly came as reporter Ben Jacobs posed questions about the Republicans' ObamaCare repeal plans — a charge that Gianforte denies.

The papers pulling their support include the Missoulian, the Billings Gazette and the Independent Record.

Gianforte earlier Wednesday had touted the support he had from the three papers.

The Missoulian in a later editorial said Gianforte showed Wednesday night that he "lacks the experience, brains and abilities to effectively represent Montana in any elected office."

The Billings Gazette said it is "at a loss for words" and said it doesn't believe someone can "love America, love the Constitution, talk about the importance of a free press and then pummel a reporter."

The Independent Record expressed similar comments, saying it can't "condone that kind of violence" and noting democracy can't "exist without a free press."

The altercation Wednesday came just hours before voters headed to the polls.

After a brief investigation, Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin issued a statement Wednesday night saying Gianforte had been cited for misdemeanor assault.

“Following multiple interviews and an investigation by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office it was determined there was probable cause to issue a citation to Greg Gianforte for misdemeanor assault,” the statement reads. “The nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements of felony assault.”

Thursday’s special election pits Gianforte against Democrat Rob Quist in a contest to replace former GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke, who is now heading President Trump’s Interior Department. Gianforte is seen as a slight favorite in the race.</s>Montana GOP candidate for U.S. Congress, Greg Gianforte, has been charged with misdemeanor assault.

The Republican candidate “body slammed,” and according to Fox News “grabbed by the neck with both hands” a reporter from British news outlet, The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs.

The altercation took place at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Bozeman, Montana, the night before the state’s special election. Ben Jacobs, a political reporter for the Guardian, said he had been asking Gianforte about the Republican healthcare plan when the candidate “body slammed” him and began shouting, “Get the hell out of here.”

Gianforte has been officially charged but will not be arrested. There is some speculation that it has to do with the sheriff, Brian Gootkin, being a donor to Gianforte’s campaign.

According to Gootkin’s statement, Gianforte has been issued a citation and will appear in court by June 7th.

“Following multiple interviews and an investigation by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office it was determined there was probable cause to issue a citation to Greg Gianforte for misdemeanor assault (MCA 45-5-201). The nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements of felony assault. Greg Gianforte received a citation on Wednesday night and is scheduled to appear in Gallatin County Justice Court between now and June 7, 2017.”

This story is ongoing and will be updated as events unfold.</s>Greg Gianforte (R), the Republican candidate in a hotly contested special House election in Montana, “was charged with assaulting a journalist on Wednesday at what was to be a final rally in Bozeman on the eve of the vote,” the New York Times reports.

“Three of the state’s largest newspapers, The Billings Gazette, The Missoulian and The Helena Independent Record, quickly rescinded their endorsements of Mr. Gianforte. But prospects that the altercation could tip the race to the Democrat, Rob Quist, were complicated by Montana’s early-voting tradition: Over half the estimated total ballots in the contest had been returned by Wednesday.”

The eyewitness account by Fox News reporters is really remarkable.</s>Three Montana-based newspapers officially rescinded their endorsement of Republican candidate Greg Gianforte in the Montana special election Thursday, after he allegedly choke-slammed a reporter at a campaign rally Wednesday evening.

The Billings Gazette, The Helena Independent Record, and The Missoulian all announced they no longer endorse Gianforte last night after the Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs described the alleged assault and published audio from the scene.

“We wouldn’t condone it if it happened on the street,” the Gazette’s editorial said. “We wouldn’t condone it if it happened in a home or even a late-night bar fight. And we couldn’t accept it from a man who is running to become Montana’s lone Congressional representative.”

Jacobs repeatedly asked Gianforte about the Congressional Budget Office score on Republicans’ health care bill, when the candidate grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the ground, according to Fox News reporters who witnessed the incident. Gianforte then punched the reporter repeatedly.

“We will leave it to the legal system to determine his guilt or innocence,” the editorial board of The Missoulian editorial board wrote in its op-ed. “But there is no doubt that Gianforte committed an act of terrible judgment that, if it doesn’t land him in jail, also shouldn’t land him in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Officials with Gianforte’s campaign said in a statement that Jacobs crashed an interview with Fox News, “and began asking badgering questions.”

“Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face,” spokesman Shane Scanlon said. “Jacobs grabbed Greg’s wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. It’s unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.”

The special election takes place Thursday and the effect of the scandal and the resulting defections is unknown, but Democrats are eager to capitalize on the event, calling for Gianforte to withdraw from the race before the first vote was even cast.

“Greg Gianforte must immediately withdraw his candidacy after his alleged violent assault of an innocent journalist,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Tyler Law said in a statement. “Further, Speaker Ryan and the National Republican Campaign Committee should not waste another minute before publicly denouncing their candidate and apologizing for the millions of dollars they spent on his behalf.”

Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault, and is scheduled to appear in court before June 7.

Have a Tip? Let us Know

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].</s>Precisely one month before the presidential election, The Washington Post released audio of then-candidate Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women.

As the shocking tape spread rapidly across the internet, the media largely assumed the race was over — that admitting to sexual assault would be disqualifying, that we could never elect a man who jokes about violence. It wasn’t, and we did.

Trump chalked his comments up to “locker room talk,” and his supporters followed suit. They insisted this is just the type of banter we should expect of boys and men, this is just the normal stuff guys talk about when girls are not around. Many Republican officials did condemn the tape, but most did not abandon him.

The message sent to the American public was clear: Abuse isn’t fantastic, but it’s not that big of a deal, either.

Fast forward seven months, and a GOP House candidate is dealing with the aftermath of reportedly body-slamming a reporter. According to an audio recording and eyewitness reports, The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs attempted to ask Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte, who is running in Montana’s special election, a question about his stance on the GOP health care bill in light of the Congressional Budget Office score.

Fox News’ Alicia Acuna, who was in the room, had this to say about what happened next: “Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter.”

“I’m sick and tired of you guys!” Gianforte yelled at Jacobs.

The incident is horrifying, yet given the current political climate, the negative rhetoric about the press, and the attitudes of the man who now sits in the White House, it’s not totally surprising. Americans placed a vessel of toxic masculinity into the highest office in the nation, and now we’re watching the inevitable trickle down.

Montana’s Billings Gazette rescinded their endorsement of Gianforte Thursday morning, noting how his past behavior must be looked at differently now.

“We’d point out that all the other questionable interactions Gianforte had with reporters, including one case where he joked about ganging up on a reporter, must now be seen through a much more sinister lens. What he passed off as a joke at the time now becomes much more serious,” wrote the Gazette’s editorial board.

Of course, Gianforte’s previous “joke” about wringing a reporter’s neck was no cause for alarm. Because this is what happens when the country rejects a zero tolerance policy when it comes to physical violence. This is what happens when we give abuse a pass. This is what happens when the President of the United States repeatedly calls journalists “enemies of the American people” and encourages his supporters to harass them.

No, Donald Trump did not singlehandedly cause Gianforte to become violent, and Gianforte may have lashed out in the same way if someone else were President of the United States. But Trump has undoubtedly encouraged an atmosphere in which groups he targets become victims of violence.

“In the past three weeks, political reporters have described being arrested, pinned against a wall, slapped, and now body-slammed,” HuffPost’s Michael Calderone notes.

It remains to be seen whether Gianforte or his Democratic opponent, Rob Quist, will win the race. What we do know, is that the conversation surrounding the acceptability of physical violence has shifted since 2015.

A reporter was trying to hold a candidate accountable by asking questions ― an action that’s both routine to the function of journalism and necessary for democracy ― and somehow his assault has become a partisan issue, something to debate, something to “take a side” on. Supporters and pundits aren’t rejecting Gianforte’s behavior wholesale, and that’s because the culture our president and his leadership team enforce has given them permission not to.

BuzzFeed’s Charlie Warzel noted the praise he’s seeing on Twitter from Trump supporters:

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham went so far as to compare Jacobs to a tattle-tale child, and asked what other Montana men would do if body-slammed, implying that “real men” fight back:

And as the Associated Press’ Mary Clare Jalonick reports, a GOP Congressman from California had this to say:

The notion that being a man requires using brute force to get what you want, what you believe you deserve ― whether that be a woman’s pussy or the ability to dodge a tough policy question ― is all part of one toxic masculine package. These ideas existed before Trump and they will outlast him, but the expectation of basic respect for other human beings diminishes when harmful values are valorized from the top down.

As the narrative surrounding the election goes: It’s not that Trump’s supporters voted for him because he was an abuser, they voted for him despite that. But the unfortunate truth is that intent doesn’t matter. The result is still the same, and a man who brags about sexual violence and calls the press an “enemy” is now running the country. A legitimization of dangerous ideas about what it means to be a man was always going to be part of the package deal.

Greg Gianforte’s assault of a reporter is one more manifestation of Trump culture. This is the country we live in now.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.</s>Three Montana newspapers have abruptly yanked their support for Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte over allegations he assaulted a reporter.

Gianforte is facing a misdemeanor assault charge after he allegedly body slammed a reporter for the Guardian on Wednesday night. Montana's special House election takes place Thursday.

During the day on Wednesday, Gianforte took to Twitter to celebrate his endorsements from the Missoulian, the Billings Gazette and the Independent Record.

But by early Thursday, the papers had all switched to a very different message: Gianforte is not the person they want representing Montana in Congress.

Missoulian: 'He lacks the experience, brains and abilities'

Less than two weeks ago, Montana's Missoulian newspaper endorsed Gianforte, saying he "has the education, experience, brains and abilities to be successful in Congress."

But the paper did a 180 after his altercation with Jacobs.

"He showed Wednesday night that he lacks the experience, brains and abilities to effectively represent Montana in any elected office," the paper said in an editorial.

"There is no doubt that Gianforte committed an act of terrible judgment that, if it doesn't land him in jail, also shouldn't land him in the U.S. House of Representatives," it said.

Billings Gazette: 'We simply cannot trust him'

The editorial board of the Billings Gazette had some doubts but decided to support Gianforte just days before the election.

"While we have serious concerns about many of Gianforte's positions on important topics like healthcare, education, and guns, we believe he is the best candidate in the race to represent Montana's interests in Congress," it said.

"We're at a loss for words," the Gazette said in an editorial condemning the candidate's actions.

"We believe that you cannot love America, love the Constitution, talk about the importance of a free press and then pummel a reporter," the editorial board said.

Independent Record: 'We cannot condone that kind of violence'

The Independent Record endorsed Gianforte earlier this month, saying he was the "best" of the candidates under consideration "even though we are not 100 percent supportive of his views."

"We believe Gianforte's ideology most closely matches the views of the majority of Montanans," it said.

But the newspaper withdrew its cautious support for him on Wednesday night, replacing it with sharp criticism.

"Democracy cannot exist without a free press, and both concepts are under attack" by Gianforte, the paper warned.

"We are also sick and tired -- of Gianforte's incessant attacks on the free press," it continued. "In the past, he has encouraged his supporters to boycott certain newspapers, singled out a reporter in a room to point out that he was outnumbered, and even made a joke out of the notion of choking a news writer, and these are not things we can continue to brush off."

CNN has reached to Gianforte's campaign for comment on the newspapers' latest comments about him.

As of early Thursday morning, the endorsements from the three papers were still posted on his campaign's website.
Gianforte is officially charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly body slamming reporter Ben Jacobs from The Guardian; the Missoulian, Billings Gazette, and Independent Record newspapers rescind their endorsements of Gianforte.