Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

President Trump applauded a congressman at a rally Thursday for assaulting a reporter last year, the Washington Post reported.

Trump was speaking to a crowd in Montana, where Rep. Greg Gianforte body-slammed Jewish journalist Ben Jacobs in May 2017, just days before a special election race.

The president mentioned Gianforte and cracked a joke: “By the way, never wrestle him.”

“Any guy that can do a body slam, he’s my kind of — he’s my guy,” Trump continued.

Jacobs, the Guardian’s political correspondent, was asking Gianforte about the GOP health-care plan when the Montana congressman grabbed him, threw him down and punched him, according to the Post. Although he pleaded guilty, Gianforte still won the election.

Trump’s comments were met with cheers from the 8,000-person crowd, the Guardian reported. This was reportedly the first time a U.S. president openly praised violence against a journalist.

Here’s the video of Trump on Greg Gianforte body slamming Ben Jacobs: “Any guy that can do a body slam, he’s my kind of guy.” pic.twitter.com/8tWxLXE6Jx

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 19, 2018

Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses

— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) May 24, 2017

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

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