President Trump dubbed Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., the congressman who assaulted a reporter during an interview last year, a “fighter and a winner,” during a rally in Billings Thursday night.
After endorsing several state officials, Trump called out Gianforte and heaped more praise on him than the others he had mentioned.
“I am also thrilled to be joined by Montana’s terrific member of Congress, a true champion for Montana. I will tell you what, this man has fought in more ways than one for your sake. He has fought for this state. Greg Gianforte. He is a fighter and a winner. He loves your state,” Trump told the crowd at the rally.
“Everybody has to get out and vote for Greg and vote for people that are going to vote for us because without that, you are going to lose a lot of the things that we have won over the last two years,” he said.
During Gianforte’s campaign in the special election to replace Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in 2017, the candidate assaulted a Guardian reporter during an interview.
The incident made national news when reporter Ben Jacobs released a voice recording that captured Gianforte body-slamming and pushing him to the ground after asking a question. The then-candidate also broke Jacobs’ glasses.
Gianforte went on to win the election. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and received 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management.
Less than one month after the assault, he was sworn into office. He promised to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
