Newly elected House Republican Greg Gianforte apologized for his assault against a Guardian reporter early Friday morning, just moments after he was declared the winner of a special election.
“When you make a mistake, you have to own up to it. That’s the Montana way,” he said a little more than a day after audio leaked of his attack against Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs.
“I’m not proud of what happened,” he said. “I should not have responded in the way that I did, and for that I’m sorry.”
“I should not have treated that reporter that way, and for that, I’m sorry Mr. Ben Jacobs,” he added.
Gianforte’s victory was suddenly less certain after news of the assault broke just hours before voters went to the polls.
His election was safe, in part because so many people voted early in the state that heavily favored Donald Trump last November.
But Gianforte apologized nonetheless, and said he “learned a lesson” last night. He also promised Montana voters he would buckle down and get to work once he is sworn into Congress.
In victory speech, Greg Gianforte says he’s sorry.’ “Last night I made a mistake.” https://t.co/53QVJshUEz pic.twitter.com/wXfVpLpxhp— ABC News (@ABC) May 26, 2017
“You deserve a congressman who stays out of the limelight,” he said.
Gianforte said his victory was a victory for Montana residents, including coal and timber workers, farmers and ranchers, and veterans. And, he said, it’s a blow to the establishment that both he and Trump ran against.
“Tonight, Montanans are sending a wake-up call to the Washington, D.C. establishment,” he said. “Montanans said, we’re gonna drain the swamp.”
His supporters cheered “drain the swamp” as he spoke.
Democrats who rallied to defeat him in the waning hours of the campaign fell short, but many were already criticizing the newest member of the House for mishandling a simple interaction with a reporter, an interaction he will likely have to quickly become used to once he arrives in Washington.
