Paul Ryan had some semi-tough words for Gianforte today, saying there’s no reason for a physical altercation and that despite his version of events he should apologize:
Ryan: Gianforte should apologize for alleged assault on reporter https://t.co/6lVN9Vd4GW pic.twitter.com/znxHxXX8xB
— POLITICO (@politico) May 25, 2017
I totally agree with Ryan here. No excuse for it whatsoever. I also think he’s right about not trying to intervene in the election, that it is up to the people of Montana.
Just as an aside, I want to point out this hackish attempt by Laura Ingraham’s LifeZette on this issue. She has a post out today called Bombshell: Montana Assault Witness Changes Story, Admits No Neck Grab. Wow, that sounds really big, right? But here’s the details:
Acuna’s report quickly went viral online, but she admitted Thursday during an interview on “The Laura Ingraham Show” she misstated the neck grab.
“One of you guys said last night that he put his hands around his neck,” Ingraham said. “Which, as somebody who’s done a lot of taekwondo and self-defense, to me that seemed, that might not be exactly right.”
“You know, and I’m the one who said that,” Acuna replied, “I saw both his hands go up, not around his neck in a strangling type of way, but more just on each side of his neck, just grabbed him and I guess it could’ve been on his clothes, I don’t know.”
Ingraham asked Acuna if that meant she was changing her story.
“Again, just to clarify, he didn’t grab him by the neck with both hands in the way that was initially described, that’s not quite accurate,” Ingraham asked at the end of the interview.
“No, so it wasn’t like he grabbed him around the neck, he had one hand on each side of his neck,” Acuna confirmed.
Are you kidding me? Whether Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the clothing near his neck or put his hands around the Jacob’s neck, it doesn’t matter. Gianforte still body slammed him and then started punching him.
Things happen fast and when you’ve seen something like this you’re always replaying it in your mind. The subtle difference in what Acuna had said and is now saying doesn’t matter at all.
But LifeZette thinks this is a BOMBSHELL??? In fact this is so far from a bombshell that I feel violated after having read this hackish piece of crap.
I don’t care if the reporter is a card carrying communist, he doesn’t deserve to be body slammed for being persistent in asking a question.
Good grief what is this world coming to…