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- Sep 15, 2008
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Simple assault carries a fine of less then 200 dollars! I'll pay that if he needs it.Live Election Results: Montana’s At-Large Congressional District
It looks like in most of the remaining precincts, Trump won by large margins.
Certainly he's going to win--we're talking MONTANA for god's sake--LOL But I don't know how good it's going to be for the Republican party as a whole--when he goes to court to face assault charges. This article explains it.
"What's beyond debate is that, according to Jacobs and multiple eyewitnesses, Gianforte grabbed the reporter by the throat and threw him to the ground -- screaming "sick and tired of you guys ... get the hell out of here."
While Gianforte's campaign put out a statement -- ludicrous on its face -- blaming Jacobs for his "aggressive" reporting tactics, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office decided that the evidence was clear, charging the Montana Republican nominee with misdemeanor assault.
At this point, however, a Gianforte loss -- which would have been considered a total disaster by national Republicans as recently as 24 hours ago -- might wind up being the best possible outcome for the party.
Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that Gianforte should apologize. But he rejected the idea that he or Republican leadership would intervene if Gianforte wins. "I am going to let the people of Monana decide who they want to represent them," said Ryan.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers sounded even more conciliatory. "From what I know of Greg Gianforte, this was totally out of character, but we all make mistakes," he said.
If Gianforte loses, he -- and the story -- disappear. Republicans would immediately blame his last-minute implosion for the defeat, allowing them to avoid the idea that the race should be properly read as a national referendum on Trump and the recently-passed American Health Care Act. (Worth noting: Before Gianforte's choke-slam on Jacobs, the race had been tightening due to the corroding national environment for Republicans.)
Now, consider what happens if Gianforte wins. Some time between now and June 7, he will have to appear in court to face the assault charge. And based on the audio provided by Jacobs as well as the eyewitness reports from a Fox News crew, it's hard to see how he doesn't get convicted.
What do Republicans do then? Every member of leadership will be asked, daily, whether seating Gianforte represents a willingness to look the other way. And for a party already struggling with branding issues, that's not the sort of story House Republicans need bouncing around Washington.
Greg Gianforte's assault charge puts Republicans in a lose-lose situation in Montana - CNNPolitics.com
It's going to cost a lot more than $200 bucks. You people don't seem to understand that Democrats will use this--the media will use it. 2018 is right around the corner.