You can't honestly think those two things are linked. Or maybe I'm just giving you far too much credit by attributing this to partisan dishonesty on your part...
I gather from the Fox account that the guy barged into a private interview, asked him a question, to which Gianforte said "I'll deal with you later". He asked again and was referred to a member of Gianforte's staff. He kept going and Gianforte blew up and attacked him.
It's a pushy and aggressive move from a reporter, which is nothing out of the ordinary for political reporters, who have to be pushy and occasionally dickish in order to get quotes. That's their job, and it's part and parcel of being a politician to have to deal with that behaviour. It's no excuse for what Gianforte did, that goes without saying, but it's also pretty easy to see how this whole thing progressed based on the eyewitness accounts. It's not motivated by some broader animus towards reporters, it's just a guy getting progressively more annoyed and then ultimately losing his sh**. It is not the first time in human history that that sort of thing has happened.
Trying to create a narrative to link this to Trump is just groan-worthy political opportunism of the most transparent variety. It's the sort of thing that makes people see the political process as phony.
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