On the eve of a special election in Montana, congressional candidate Greg Gianforte apparently body-slamming reporter for The Guardian Ben Jacobs who asked him about healthcare.
Although there is no video of the incident, there were multiple witnesses, and the audio is telling.
“Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him,” wrote a witness. “Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, ‘I’m sick and tired of this!’”
A Montana sheriff charged Gianforte with misdemeanor assault.
Jacobs issued a tweet two words of which went viral.
https://twitter.com/Bencjacobs/status/867517225820966912
There are few people in Washington with a better understanding of politics and slamming bodies than Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), a former mixed martial arts fighter. Mullin is well known to the hardcore MMA fanbase,; last May he introduced a bill to expand the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000 to MMA and kickboxing. The bill seeks to establish an independent fighter ranking system, and allow the top fighters to compete against one another, regardless of league, among other goals.
Tom LoBianco interviewed Mullin for CNN.
Tom LoBianco: Is ‘body slamming’ a hard thing to do?
MarkWayne Mullin: Most of the time, people, there’s a whole a lot of different interpretations. I mean a person gets pushed down, they think they’re being ‘body-slammed.’ There’s really not any certain thing, that came from more fake wrestling — you know, ‘the body slam,’ being picked up in the air and thrown to the ground. It’s all in someone’s interpretation of what someone thinks a ‘body slam’ really is.”
TL: So, it’s more of a World Wrestling Entertainment concept of it than an actual wrestling concept?
MM: Probably. More of the theatrical concept than the actual practical concept.
TL: When you were in cage matches, were you ever able to pick somebody up like that?
MM: We called it takedowns. But I didn’t see the video, so I don’t actually know what happened. All I’ve heard is the audio, so it’s hard for me to comment on what actually happened or didn’t happen.
TL: The Fox News witnesses made it sound like he grabbed him by the back and pushed him down like that …
MM: It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s a body slam or not. The fact is it should never happen. I don’t care how upset you get. I know if you get mad, and in a world with all the competitors I’ve been around in my life, either from fighting or wrestling or other sports, you have to learn to breathe.
Wise words from Rep. Mullin.
