MISSOULA, Mont. — Donald Trump praised a Republican candidate’s assault
last year on a reporter and fumed over his Democratic opponents here on
Thursday night in a freewheeling rally meant to mobilize his base’s
support in the coming midterm elections.

In urging the crowd to vote for Representative Greg Gianforte, who is
running for re-election and who was sentenced to anger management
classes and community service for assaulting a reporter last spring, Mr.
Trump jokingly warned the crowd to “never wrestle him.�

“I had heard he body-slammed a reporter,� Mr. Trump said, noting that he
was initially concerned that Mr. Gianforte would lose in a special
election last May. “I said, ‘Wait a minute. I know Montana pretty well;
I think it might help him.’ And it did.�

“Anybody that can do a body-slam,� the president added, “that’s my kind
of guy.�

Mr. Trump made no mention at the rally of Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident
Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, who disappeared
this month after visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. United States
intelligence officials say Mr. Khashoggi was most likely killed by Saudi
officials.

The Guardian U.S., which employs the reporter whom Mr. Gianforte
body-slammed, issued a statement on Thursday night after Mr. Trump
finished speaking.

“To celebrate an attack on a journalist who was simply doing his job is
an attack on the First Amendment by someone who has taken an oath to
defend it,� said John Mulholland, the editor of The Guardian U.S. “In
the aftermath of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, it runs the risk of
inviting other assaults on journalists both here and across the world
where they often face far greater threats.�

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Puke.