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US President Donald Trump has praised a Republican congressman who assaulted a journalist last year with a “body slam”, referring to him as “my guy”.
“Greg is smart,” Mr Trump said of Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte, adding “by the way never wrestle him”.
“Any guy that can do a body slam… he’s my guy,” he said to cheers and laughter at a rally in Montana.
After praising Mr Gianforte, Mr Trump then mimicked a person being thrown forcefully to the ground.
Mr Gianforte, 56, pleaded guilty to assaulting a journalist from the UK’s Guardian newspaper on the eve of his election last year.
He was ordered to pay $385 (£304), complete 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counselling.
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This latest praise from Mr Trump will only worsen his relationship with the media, which he has previously labelled the “enemy of the people”.
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Recalling his fear that the 2017 assault could hinder Mr Gianforte’s chances of winning the special congressional election that followed, Mr Trump told supporters: “I said wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well, I think it might help him – and it did”.
Ben Jacobs, the reporter who was attacked after asking the candidate whether he supported the Republican healthcare plan, agreed not to sue Mr Gianforte if he wrote a letter of apology and donated $50,000 (£39,500) to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
A letter sent by Mr Gianforte to Mr Jacobs offered a “sincere apology”.
“My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable and unlawful,” it said.
In a statement, the Guardian’s US editor John Mulholland said he hoped the president would apologise for his comments, adding: “To celebrate an attack on a journalist who was simply doing his job is an attack on the first amendment [of the US Constitution] by someone who has taken an oath to defend it.”
He said the incident “runs the risk of inviting other assaults on journalists”, coming at the same time as the alleged killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.