According to a new tweet from Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, Montana GOP special election candidate Greg Gianforte assaulted him on Wednesday, breaking his glasses and leaving him in need of medical attention.
The incident reportedly took place at the Republican’s final campaign event at his headquarters, where Gianforte planned to thank volunteers.
Tweet:
Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses
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— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) May 24, 2017
The Guardian posted the troubling audio of the interaction online just a short time ago, which shows that Jacobs was asking Gianforte about the latest CBO score on the Republican health care bill when the GOP candidate assaulted him.
Audio:
After the assault, Gianforte could be heard screaming at Jacobs: “Get the hell out of here.”
“He took me to the ground,” Jacobs said, according to the Guardian report. “This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics.”
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that one person – likely Jacobs – was transferred to the hospital while Gianforte quickly left the area – no surprise.
More tweets:
One person was transferred from the scene to Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital, Hyalite Fire Chief confirms with me. #bdcnews #mtnews #mtal
— Whitney Bermes (@wabermes) May 24, 2017
Jeep with Gianforte just drove away from the area. #bdcnews #mtal
— Whitney Bermes (@wabermes) May 24, 2017
With the special election set to take place on Thursday, this is nothing short of a disaster for the Republican candidate who is just a slight favorite to beat Democratic candidate Rob Quist. This could turn the race upside down with less than 24 hours to go.
It’s hard enough to be a Republican at a time when Donald Trump is dragging the entire party down and the health care bill continues to be an albatross around the neck of the GOP – but assaulting a reporter is probably not a good election eve strategy.
Picture: Twitter
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
