BOZEMAN, Mont. – One day before Montana’s special election to fill the state’s sole congressional seat, a reporter says he was body-slammed by the Republican candidate.

Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs had just asked multimillionaire tech entrepreneur Greg Gianforte about the GOP healthcare plan when he says Gianforte threw him to the ground, breaking his glasses, according to The Guardian.

The paper released audio that Jacobs says captured the altercation.

BuzzFeed News reporter Alexis Levinson said she was behind a half-closed door to the room Gianforte and Jacobs were in. “All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben’s feet fly in the air as he hit the floor,” Jacobs tweeted. “Heard very angry yelling (as did all the volunteers in the room) – sounded like Gianforte.”

According to Jacobs, Gianforte walked out of the event without speaking and drove away with his aides.

Gianforte’s campaign released this statement Wednesday evening, according to NBC:

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office would only confirm that they are investigating a report of an assault involving Gianforte and will release more information later.

Gianforte is running against Rob Quist, a 69-year-old singer songwriter-turned-Democratic congressional candidate. Quist, who looks like he rode straight out of a 1970s-era Western, has a thick black mustache, white cowboy hat and silk handkerchief hanging from his neck.

The two candidates are starkly different, and the weight of Thursday’s election has prompted numerous attack ads on television, millions in political contributions and complaints about robocalls featuring the president and vice president’s voices, according to the Associated Press. Robocalls are illegal in Montana, according to state law.</s>First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.

"Body slam" of reporter is another sign of America's broken politics

If you thought our politics couldn't get any worse, just look at what happened on the eve of today's special congressional election in Montana. "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," per NBC News. Before Gianforte was cited for misdemeanor assault, his campaign blamed the reporter, Ben Jacobs of the Guardian, for the incident. "[A]s 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… It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ." And according to MSNBC's Garrett Haake, a GOP strategist endorsed that strategy to blame the press.

What is wrong with our politics? It's shameful that ANYONE considers this good strategy. Also in this current state of politics — where winning is everything — there is notable silence from the Republican Party. A little bit more of our democracy was weakened last night. As the saying goes, you get the politicians you deserve. Question: Don't we deserve better than this?

How did last night affect this race? We just don't know

The other question on everyone's minds: How does last night's incident affect this competitive race, where the consensus had been that Gianforte is the favorite but that Democrat Rob Quist has a realistic shot at an upset? About two-thirds of the vote is already in, and those people can't change their vote. But remember, early voters are typically your most committed partisans; day-of voters are usually more persuadable. So the incident could matter. Or it might not. Polls in Montana close at 10:00 pm ET.

Democrats now find themselves in a lose-lose position

Oddly, last night's incident in Montana has turned into a potential nightmare for Democrats. Think about it: If they win, Republicans and many observers will chalk it up to Gianforte's behavior and flaws. And if Democrats come up short — which is still a realistic possibility — people are going to say: "Democrats couldn't triumph in a competitive race where the opponent is charged with misdemeanor assault before an election!!!!" Sure, Gianforte winning will eventually be a headache for Republicans once he comes to Washington. But right now, the pressure is on the Democrats, and it puts even more pressure on the June 20 runoff in Georgia. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was already one of the losers before last night (their GOP counterparts had invested much more in the race). And when you wait too long to play, you sometimes don't find yourself in a great position to take credit if you win.

Advice: Don't focus just on one special election. Look at them collectively

Of course, before last night, the Montana congressional election was viewed more — fairly or not — as a referendum on President Trump and the current political climate. And while last night's incident complicates that kind of narrative, do pay attention to the advice from the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman: Look at the special elections COLLECTIVELY to determine what the political environment currently looks like. And so here are the competitive special elections compared to past performance:

Bottom line: Democrats are outperforming where they were in 2016, and Republicans are underperforming. We'll wait to see if that trend continues tonight — with the obvious caveat about last night's incident.

The question that Ben Jacobs was asking Gianforte last night? It was about yesterday's Congressional Budget Office score of the House GOP health-care bill. 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."</s>The top Republican in the US Congress demanded an apology Thursday from the party's candidate in a high-stakes election in Montana, who stands accused of assaulting a reporter on the eve of the vote.

Greg Gianforte, a wealthy businessman who until recent weeks had been expected to comfortably win Thursday's contest, faces up to six months in county jail and a $500 fine if convicted of misdemeanor assault against a journalist from British newspaper The Guardian.

The Wednesday clash, caught on an audio recording, has mushroomed into a major headache for Donald Trump's party on the day Montanans vote to replace a Republican who resigned to join the president's cabinet.

"I think he should apologize," House Speaker Paul Ryan said when asked about Gianforte's confrontation with reporter Ben Jacobs, who says he was "body slammed," or violently thrown to the ground.

"That is wrong and should not have happened," he added.

But Ryan declined to say whether Gianforte would be welcome in Congress should he win the special election.

"I'm going to let the people of Montana decide who they want as their representative. That's not our choice."

Local police were called to the scene, at a Gianforte campaign event in the city of Bozeman, and Jacobs was taken to the hospital for X-rays.

The altercation took place after Jacobs asked a question about the Republican health care bill intended to replace Barack Obama's signature health reforms.

"Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses," Jacobs tweeted before news of the incident went viral on social media.

The reporter posted an audio clip in which a loud crash is heard, and Gianforte then appears to say: "The last time you came in here you did the same thing. Get the hell out of here!"

Gianforte's campaign issued a statement offering a starkly contrasting account, saying the incident took place when the candidate was giving a separate interview in a private office.

Jacobs entered the office uninvited, and "aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face, and began asking badgering questions," the statement said.

"It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ."

Other witnesses corroborated Jacobs's version of events -- including a crew from Fox News, the most viewed US cable news channel and a favorite of conservatives.

In a first-hand account published on the network's website, a Fox reporter said that at one point "Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him onto 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," Fox's Alicia Acuna wrote.

The race between Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist, a folk singer and political newbie, had been focusing on Montanans' concerns about US health care policy, and was also seen as a referendum on the first four months of Trump's presidency.

The assault allegations cast the race into uncharted waters, said Jeremy Johnson, an associate professor of political science at Carroll College in the state capital Helena.

Both the audio clip, and Fox News description of events, could help Quist among undecided voters, Johnson said.

"On the other hand this may rally some supporters of Gianforte who are negative about the influence of the media," he said.</s>The Republican candidate for the vacant Montana House of Representatives seat, Greg Gianforte, allegedly assaulted Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs at a campaign event Wednesday night. Jacobs described the situation on Twitter:

Buzzfeed News reporter Alexis Levinson was directly outside the room in question, and she described "angry yelling" and a "giant crash." The Guardian posted audio of the encounter, where Gianforte can be heard shouting angrily, "I'm sick and tired of you guys:"

Gianforte's campaign put out a response accusing Jacobs of having "grabbed Greg's wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground." This account is rather divergent from the recorded one, not least because it says Gianforte asked Jacobs to lower his recorder and he refused, which cannot be heard at all.

Jacobs wrote an article detailing Gianforte's ties to sanctioned Russian companies last month. The election is tomorrow. Ryan Cooper</s>The candidate for Montana’s congressional seat has been charged with assault after he allegedly slammed a reporter to the floor while shouting “get the hell out of here”.

In a bizarre series of events Greg Gianforte, a wealthy software entrepreneur, erupted under questioning and attacked the Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs.

Sheriff Brian Gootkin said in a statement: “Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses, Jacobs tweeted, as he reported the incident—witnessed by three Fox News journalists—to police.

“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 misdemeanour assault.”</s>Greg Gianforte, the GOP candidate for Montana’s lone U.S. House seat, has been cited for misdemeanor assault on election day after a journalist alleged he was “body slammed” by him.

The Guardian political reporter Ben Jacobs claimed that Gianforte shoved him to the ground, causing his glasses to break, after he asked the candidate a question about health care at the campaign headquarters in Bozeman, Montana, on Wednesday.

“He took me to the ground,” Jacobs told The Guardian from the back of an ambulance. “I think he wailed 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.”

A Fox News reporter witnessed the chaotic scene, writing that “Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. [We] watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter.”

In addition, Jacobs caught the entire incident on audio recording.

The incident has brought even more attention to a special election that already had a national profile. Democrat Rob Quist had raised $6 million and some polls showed him within striking distance of Gianforte, despite Montanans voting for Donald Trump by more than 20 percentage points in November.

The seat was vacated by Republican Ryan Zinke after he was picked by President Trump to be Interior Secretary.

Shane Scanlon, Gianforte’s spokesperson, issued a statement saying that Jacobs “entered the [campaign] office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face, and began asking badgering questions.”

“After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face,” he continued. “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.”

After Gianforte tried to dodge a question by the journalist, a crash can be heard as the U.S. House candidate yells, “I’m sick and tired of you guys! The last guy who came here did the same thing. Get the hell out of here.”

Sheriff Brian Gootkin announced in a press conference Wednesday night that after conducting an investigation and interviews, “there was probable cause to issue a citation to Greg Gianforte for misdemeanor assault.”

He added that “the nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements of felony assault.”

Gianforte is scheduled to appear in Gallatin County Justice Court before June 7.

Gootkin also confirmed that he had donated $250 to Gianforte’s campaign in March but said it had “nothing to do with our investigation which is now complete.”</s>Republican nominee Greg Gianforte is being accused of a physical altercation with a reporter on the eve a surprisingly tight race in the special election for Montana’s at-large congressional district.

Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, posted what would be considered a pair of fairly unusual tweets to see in the world of U.S. political journalism. You know, because the term “body slammed” makes an appearance. (If memory serves, Jesse Ventura’s gubernatorial career was largely body slam free.)</s>A reporter for The Guardian newspaper accused Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate running in the special election for Montana’s at-large congressional seat, of body slamming him Wednesday at an event hours before voters were poised to go to the polls.

Ben Jacobs, a political reporter for the British news outlet, said on Twitter that Mr. Gianforte, who is running against Democrat Rob Quist, “just body slammed me and broke my glasses.”

Mr. Gianforte is locked in a tight race with Mr. Quist to replace Ryan Zinke, who vacated his spot in Congress to become President Trump’s secretary of the interior.

According to an audio file posted by the Guardian, the confrontation began when Mr. Jacobs was following up a question by another Guardian reporter about the Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of the House-passed health-care bill, a key issue in the special election.

This irritated Mr. Gianforte, who said he would “talk to you about that later.” When Mr. Jacobs persisted, a loud crash can be heard and the candidate yelled that he was “sick and tired of you guys. 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?”

On the tape, Mr. Jacobs complains about his glasses and Mr. Gianforte repeats his demands that the reporter leave

Another reporter, Alexis Levinson, a reporter for Buzzfeed, appeared to vouch for Mr. Jacobs’ account, saying she waited to Tweet the news because “I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like this before.”

“Ben Walked into a room where a local tv crew was set up for an interview with Gianforte,” she said. “All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben’s feet fly in the air as he hit the floor.”

The Gianforte campaign did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The special election in Montana is the first since House Republicans last month passed a bill to replace and repeal Obamacare, which President Trump and House GOP leaders vowed would strengthen the nation’s health care system.</s>WASHINGTON: A Republican running for Congress in Montana "body slammed" a reporter for The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday, breaking his glasses, the journalist said.The altercation between Greg Gianforte and reporter Ben Jacobs took place at a campaign event at Gianforte's headquarters in the city of Bozeman, Montana, The Guardian said.He is running for the state's only congressional seat in a special election set for Thursday."Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses," Jacobs tweeted.The attack took place after Jacobs asked a question about health care.Jacobs posted audio of the incident in which Gianforte appears to say "The last time you came in here you did the same thing. Get the hell out of here!"Police said they are questioning four witnesses to the incident.Others at the event corroborated the version of events."Ben walked into a room where a local TV crew was set up for an interview with Gianforte," BuzzFeed reporter Alexis Levinson tweeted. "All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben's feet fly in the air as he hit the floor."Gianforte's campaign issued a statement saying the incident took place when the candidate 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 statement 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 added."It's unfortunate that this aggressive behaviour from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ."On Jacobs's audio, businessman Gianforte is not heard asking him to lower his microphone.When Jacobs asks for the names of those present, saying he would go to the police, he is told, "you gotta leave."The special election in the traditional Republican stronghold of Montana has proved to be a far closer race than expected.It is seen as a key test of whether rural voters who helped send Donald Trump to the White House in November are sticking with him.Jeremy Johnson, an associate professor of political science at Carroll College in the state capital Helena, earlier told AFP that the lead once enjoyed by Gianforte, who is running against Democrat Rob Quist, "has diminished in polling so much that it's miniscule."The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called on Gianforte to resign late on Wednesday, saying he is "unhinged.""Greg Gianforte must immediately withdraw his candidacy after his alleged violent assault of an innocent journalist," spokesman Tyler Law said in a statement."Further, (House Speaker Paul) Ryan and the National Republican Campaign Committee should not waste another minute before publicly denouncing their candidate and apologising for the millions of dollars they spent on his behalf."The Guardian's US editor Lee Glendinning said the newspaper was "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 and our team of reporters for the questions they ask and the reporting that is produced."</s>GREAT FALLS, MONT - A political reporter for the Guardian was allegedly assaulted by Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate in the Montana U.S. House race, Wednesday evening in Bozeman, the reporter announced via Twitter.

"Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses," Ben Jacobs wrote on Twitter.

"There was a local TV crew there when Gianforte body slammed me."

Wednesday's incident comes just one day before the special election in which Gianforte is running against Democratic candidate Rob Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks. Polls thus far have shown Gianforte with a single-digit lead over Quist.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office has not yet returned called made by the Tribune for comment.

Whitney Bermes, reporter for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle confirmed via Twitter that the sheriff's office and medics were on scene.

"I'm sick and tired of you guys. The last time you were here you did the same thing," Gianforte is allegedly heard on audio posted by the Guardian.
Republican Greg Gianforte bodyslams a reporter from The Guardian who then reports the situation to police. Gianforte is running against Democrat Rob Quist.