It’s pretty stupid to allow yourself to be goaded into beating up a reporter.
The reporter went into the situation hoping to create exactly the result he got, and it worked. You can use a microphone and an aggressive question in such a way that you can trigger a person’s fight or flight midbrain response, and that would appear to be what happened here. Gianforte clearly chose fight, not flight.
Whether it hurts him or not electorally, it certainly brands him for better or worse. In the same situation, not sure I would have reacted any differently though.
I don’t think he could have anticipated that when the guy shoved a phone in his face and he tried to grab it, the guy would grab HIS wrist and pull them both down ....this was a set up- he should have claimed a neck sprain, called an ambulance for a neck brace, and filed charges first
BTW there is a picture of this journo posing with journalist-assault-stalker Michelle Fields
The latest that I have heard on this subject is that the Reporter first barged into a private interview, pushed a telephone which was recording into the man's face, and when Gianforte reached for the telephone, the "reporter" grabbed him by the wrist.
First physical contact was made by the reporter grabbing Gianforte's wrist, at which point Gianforte got up and possibly grabbed the reporter by the lapels, and they both fell down.
The "Grabbed him by the neck" claim has been withdrawn.