quote:
During that conversation, another man — who we now know is Ben Jacobs of The Guardian — walked into the room with a voice recorder, put it up to Gianforte's face and began asking if he had a response to the newly released Congressional Budget Office report on the American Health Care Act. Gianforte told him he would get to him later. Jacobs persisted with his question. Gianforte told him to talk to his press guy, Shane Scanlon.

At that point, Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. 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!"

Jacobs scrambled to his knees and said something about his glasses being broken. He asked Faith, Keith and myself for our names. In shock, we did not answer. Jacobs then said he wanted the police called and went to leave. Gianforte looked at the three of us and repeatedly apologized. At that point, I told him and Scanlon, who was now present, that we needed a moment. The men then left.

Unfortunately for the Fox reporters, Jacobs contradicted their account and supported Gianforte's account of what happened when he appeared on the Georgey boy's show this morning.

When asked what happened, Jacob said that Gianforte first grabbed the recorder which Jacob had put in Gianforte's face and that's what started the whole incident.

Now how could Gianforte grab Jacobs by the neck with BOTH HANDS when Jacobs admits Gianforte grabbed his recorder with his hand and that's when the scuffle began?

Jacob's account of how the scuffle began matches Gianforte's account of what started the scuffle which was after Gianforte told Jacob that he would respond to Jacob's question later, Jacob stuck his recorder in Gianforte's face again so Gianforte grabbed the recorder to push it away and Jacob grabbed Gianforte's wrist and the two of them fell over and hit the floor.

quote:
To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff's deputies.

Jacob aggressively came into a private interview that Giaforte was having with a Fox reporter and after Gianforte told Jacob that he would talk to him later, Jacob told him that would be too late so he aggressively put the recorder in Gianforte's face and asked the question again.

That's what Gianforte meant when he said Jacob was being aggressive.

This post was edited on 5/25/17 at 12:58 pm