Kyle Mantyla reports at Right Wing Watch:
On her radio show today, the American Family Association’s Sandy Rios dismissed reports that Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte assaulted Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs yesterday, despite audio of the altercation and several eyewitnesses, saying that the entire thing “sounds very grade school playground-y” and lamenting that men no longer just settle things by fighting. “There is a natural anger that comes when someone invades your space and abuses their ability to do what it is they’re doing, they’ve gone across a line,” she continued, again lamenting that “we’ve lost some ability to settle things on our own by having this kind of girly-man response and this litigation and calling the police instead of just settling it.”
As you’ll see below, Rios isn’t the only wingnut defending assaulting journalists.
Rep. Duncan Hunter said of MT reporter assault, “It’s not appropriate behavior. Unless the reporter deserved it.”
— Mary Clare Jalonick (@MCJalonick) May 25, 2017
Asked Rep. Sanford what kind of greeting House R's would give Gianforte if he won: "I think people would be careful not to make him mad."
— Lissandra Villa (@LissandraVilla) May 25, 2017
Louie Gohmert: “We didn't have a course on bodyslamming…”
Trent Franks: “The left has precipitated this tense, confrontational approach…” pic.twitter.com/eYdttV3397
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 25, 2017
Jacobs is an obnoxious, dishonest first class jerk. I'm not surprised he got smacked.
— Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) May 25, 2017
Did anyone get his lunch money stolen today and then run to tell the recess monitor?
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 25, 2017
Coming one day before the Montana election this #BenJacobs crybaby routine sounds suspiciously like a scam to influence the outcome pic.twitter.com/vyokKuEMm5
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) May 25, 2017