ELECTION/GOP/MEDIA/RALLY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House Correspondents’ Association condemned President Donald Trump Friday [10-19-18] after he lauded a lawmaker from Montana a day earlier for body slamming a Guardian reporter…Speaking Thursday [10-18-19] at a rally in Missoula, Montana, Trump praised GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte for an incident in 2017 in which an audio recording revealed that the then-candidate apparently body-slammed journalist Ben Jacobs. Trump said that ‘knowing Montana,’ the assault would help Gianforte in the polls, even though it drew widespread condemnation across the country at the time. Guardian US editor John Mulholland also issued a statement condemning Trump’s comments Friday night, urging the president to apologize. Trump has often targeted the media, dubbing it the ‘enemy of the people,’ and he refused to attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Gianforte’s staff initially blamed Jacobs for the incident, but the lawmaker eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges. Gianforte also promised to make a $50,000 donation to free press advocacy group the Committee to Protect Journalists.”
–Matthew Choi, “White House Correspondents’ Association condemns Trump’s body-slam comments,” Politico, October 19, 2018 12:02 pm