President Trump on Friday said he had no regret for making light of Rep. Greg Gianforte's physical assault on a reporter at a Montana rally Thursday night. 
 
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 "No, that was a different league, a different world," Trump said on Friday when asked whether he regretted Thursday's comments -- made amid outrage he's expressed over the alleged murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 
 
 "That was a tremendous success last night in Montana and Greg is a great person, he’s a tough cookie, and I’ll stay with that," Trump said, again offering praise for the congressman who body-slammed a reporter last year as he campaigned during a special election for Montana's at-large congressional seat. The incident was caught on audiotape. Gianforte went on to win the election and is now up for reelection. 
 
 "Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my type!" Trump said to cheers Thursday night. 
 
 Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images 
 
 "I was in Rome with leaders when I heard about it, and I heard that he body-slammed a reporter," Trump said. 
 
 Trump said he was afraid Gianforte would lose after the moment, but then recalled, "Wait a moment, I know Montana." 
 
 Gianforte pleaded guilty and was sentenced to community service for the incident. He apologized on the night of his election victory, saying, "When you make a mistake you have to own it." 
 
 The White House Correspondents' Association has since come out to condemn the president comments. 
 
 "All Americans should recoil from the president's praise for a violent assault on a reporter doing his Constitutionally protected job. This amounts to the celebration of a crime by someone sworn to uphold our laws and an attack on the First Amendment by someone who has solemnly pledged to defend it. We should never shrug at the president cheerleading for a violent act targeting a free and independent news media," WHCA President Olivier Knox said in a statement. 
 
 For Trump, the Montana Senate race is personal. 
 
 Trump came to Montana on the attack against Tester, a two-term Democratic senator, who is in a close race against Matt Rosendale, the current state auditor. 
 
 The president has made it his mission to unseat Tester, whose office publically released information about alleged misconduct that led to White House physician Adm. Ronny Jackson’s failed nomination to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jackson denied allegations of misconduct and that he overprescribed medications, but eventually withdrew his name from consideration. Trump never forgot. 
 
 Jonathan Ernst/Reuters 
 
 “That’s really why I’m here,” Trump said. “I can never forget what Jon Tester did to a man of the highest quality. It was vicious.” 
 
 The president spoke at length about immigration and falsely said that Democrats are supporting a caravan of immigrants traveling up from Central America. 
 
 “They wanted that caravan and there are those who say that caravan didn’t just happen, it didn’t just happen. A lot of reasons that caravan -- 4,000 people -- but I just want to thank the Mexican government because they’re stopping it hopefully before it ever gets to Mexico,” Trump said. 
 
 “As you know, I’m willing to send the military to defend our Southern border if necessary all because of the illegal immigration onslaught brought by the Democrats because they refuse to acknowledge or to change the laws -- they like it,” Trump said. 
 
 Trump said that the midterm elections will be “an election of Kavanaugh, the caravan, law and order and common sense -- that’s what it’s going to be.” 
 
 Jonathan Ernst/Reuters 
 
 At times, the president veered off script, talking about the first lady’s trip to Africa and controversy over her pith hat (“I think she bought it in Los Angeles!”) and fake allegations he wears a toupee (“He wears a hairpiece”). 
 
 But then he would swerve back on course to talking about Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test in a state home to many Indian reservations: “It’s too bad because I can’t call her Pocahontas anymore.” 
 
 While Trump comfortably won the Big Sky state by 20 points, Tester, a moderate Democrat, maintains a slight lead in what has become one of the most expensive political contests in the small state’s history as millions of dollars have poured into Montana. It’s the president’s third trip to Montana, and Tester is only a few points ahead of Rosendale in recent polls. 
 
 AP 
 
 Tester has touted a bipartisan record in the Senate, even publishing a full-page newspaper ad at the beginning of the summer thanking the president for signing 16 of his bills into law on everything from government waste to veterans affairs. 
 
 “We can’t let Jon Tester and the radical liberal agenda win, they’ll go after President Trump,” Rosendale said. 
 
 While the president’s ire toward Tester is rooted in Jackson, many of the voters ABC News spoke with before the rally began didn't seem to know his name. 
 
 “I really don’t have any thoughts about him,” Jeffrey Stenger from Polson, Montana, told ABC News. 
 
 His wife Lynn jumped in, to remind him he was the White House physician who “got in a spat with Tester.” 
 
 “He has a good instinct of reading people, even in the beginning of the election he called people out and said the truth. So far, he hasn’t lied to me,” Stenger said. ||||| FILE - In this March 6, 2017 file photo technology entrepreneur Greg Gianforte speaks to Republican delegates before a candidate forum in Helena, Mont. Gianforte won Montana's only U.S. House seat on... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this March 6, 2017 file photo technology entrepreneur Greg Gianforte speaks to Republican delegates before a candidate forum in Helena, Mont. Gianforte won Montana's only U.S. House seat on Thursday, May 25, despite being charged a day earlier with assault after witnesses said he grabbed a... (Associated Press) 
 
 BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — The Latest on the misdemeanor assault case against Greg Gianforte, a Republican candidate for a Montana congressional seat in a special election Thursday. (all times local): 
 
 10:55 p.m. 
 
 Newly elected Republican congressman Greg Gianforte apologized to the reporter he's charged with assaulting. 
 
 After being declared the winner in the U.S. House race in Montana, Gianforte told supporters Thursday night that he should not have treated Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs the way he did. 
 
 Gianforte told the crowd: "I should not have responded the way I did and for that I am sorry." 
 
 Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault Wednesday after witnesses said he grabbed Jacobs and slammed him to the ground. 
 
 Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:30 p.m. 
 
 Republican Greg Gianforte has won the special election for Montana's sole U.S. House seat a day after being charged with assaulting a reporter. 
 
 Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist on Thursday to replace Ryan Zinke, who is now President Donald Trump's interior secretary. 
 
 Gianforte was elected despite being charged with misdemeanor assault on Wednesday after witnesses said he grabbed a reporter for the Guardian newspaper and slammed him to the ground. 
 
 The multimillionaire technology entrepreneur is an enthusiastic Trump backer, and his victory was seen as an endorsement of Trump. 
 
 Gianforte's campaign was boosted by rallies featuring Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr. plus millions of dollars in ads by Republican groups. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:03 p.m. 
 
 Montana polls are closing, a day after Republican candidate Greg Gianforte was charged with assaulting a reporter. 
 
 Witnesses say Gianforte, a wealthy technology executive, grabbed Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, by the neck on Wednesday in a Bozeman office and threw him to the ground. 
 
 The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office cited him for misdemeanor assault and he has until June 7 to appear in court. 
 
 Gianforte was keeping a low profile Thursday and could not be reached for comment. 
 
 He's running against Democrat Rob Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks. 
 
 ___ 
 
 4:05 p.m. 
 
 A county attorney in Montana says he will review the case involving a Republican congressional candidate accused of shoving a reporter to the ground on the eve of a special election. 
 
 Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert said Thursday he will set aside celebrity and hype and look at the facts surrounding Greg Gianforte's altercation with Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian. 
 
 Lambert, who was elected as a Republican, says he knows Gianforte but not well. He sometimes encounters Gianforte at church, social events and GOP functions. 
 
 Sheriff's officials have cited Gianforte for misdemeanor assault in the Wednesday altercation. 
 
 Lambert, who has not donated money to Gianforte's campaign, says he will review the sheriff's decision to pursue a misdemeanor and not a felony. 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:45 p.m. 
 
 The sheriff who cited a Montana congressional candidate for misdemeanor assault has apologized for not disclosing that he contributed $250 to the Republican's campaign. 
 
 Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin said Thursday that he should have revealed the donation at a previous news conference held after witnesses said candidate Greg Gianforte had grabbed a reporter by the neck on Wednesday and threw him to the ground at Gianforte's campaign headquarters. 
 
 Gootkin said the contribution had nothing to do with his duties as sheriff. 
 
 Gootkin said Gianforte left his campaign headquarters while deputies were investigating the case, and investigators later heard from Gianforte's attorney that they would need to contact him before speaking with Gianforte again. 
 
 ____ 
 
 2:55 p.m. 
 
 The sheriff who cited a Montana congressional candidate for shoving a reporter to the ground says the Republican was charged with misdemeanor assault because there was no serious bodily injury. 
 
 Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin said Thursday that under Montana law, assaults that don't result in serious injuries or involve a weapon are considered misdemeanors. Assaults that cause serious physical injuries or involve weapons are treated as felonies. 
 
 Gootkin said he never considered pursuing a felony charge against Greg Gianforte based on evidence collected after the Wednesday incident. 
 
 The reporter, Ben Jacobs, didn't have any visible injuries when he spoke to "Good Morning America" on Thursday but said he was taking "a lot of Advil" for pain. 
 
 He said he trusted that investigators had made the right decision on how to handle the case. 
 
 _____ 
 
 12 p.m. 
 
 The Montana congressional candidate accused of assaulting a reporter hasn't been seen or heard from Thursday as voters go to the polls. 
 
 Repeated phone calls to Greg Gianforte's cellphone went unreturned Thursday. Twice it sounded like someone picked up then immediately hung up. 
 
 His home in Bozeman is set back on property along the Gallatin River and isn't very visible from the road. Its gate was half-opened, with a sign thanking people for not trespassing. 
 
 People at Gianforte's campaign headquarters referred all questions to spokesman Shane Scanlon, who was not there. No one answered the door at Scanlon's home. 
 
 Gianforte has backed out of at least one planned television appearance. MSNBC's "MTP Daily" says he canceled on the show. 
 
 ____ 
 
 11:15 a.m. 
 
 Montana's Democratic governor is condemning a GOP House candidate charged with assaulting a journalist. 
 
 Gov. Steve Bullock said Thursday it is "unsettling that Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a journalist and then lied, refusing to take responsibility for his actions." 
 
 Bullock defeated Gianforte in Montana's governor's race last fall. 
 
 Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault Wednesday after an audio recording and eye witnesses appeared to describe him slamming a reporter for the Guardian to the ground. 
 
 Bullock says that no matter the outcome of Thursday's vote, "the actions of Gianforte do not reflect the values of Montana or its people." 
 
 Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist are vying to replace Ryan Zinke, who vacated Montana's lone House seat to become U.S. interior secretary. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:09 a.m. 
 
 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says the GOP House candidate in Montana charged with assaulting a reporter is "a wannabe Trump." 
 
 "That's his model, Donald Trump," Pelosi said of Greg Gianforte, the wealthy Republican running in Thursday's special election for Montana's sole House seat. 
 
 Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault Wednesday after an audio recording and eye witnesses appeared to describe him slamming a reporter for the Guardian to the ground. 
 
 Ben Jacobs had been trying to question Gianforte about a new Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House health care bill. Gianforte's campaign accused Jacobs of "badgering." 
 
 Some House Republicans were not eager to comment Thursday morning but Pelosi said: "We've really got say enough. Behave. That was outrageous." 
 
 House Speaker Paul Ryan is calling for Gianforte to apologize, saying "that's wrong and should not happen." 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:56 a.m. 
 
 House Speaker Paul Ryan is calling for the Republican candidate in Montana's special House election to apologize after allegedly attacking a reporter and getting charged with assault. 
 
 Ryan says "that's wrong and should not happen." 
 
 But Ryan wouldn't say if Greg Gianforte should be barred from joining the House GOP conference if he wins Thursday's election. Instead Ryan said, "I'm gonna let the people of Montana decide who they want as their representative." 
 
 The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Congressman Steve Stivers, also weighed in Thursday. Stivers said: "From what I know of Greg Gianforte, this was totally out of character, but we all make mistakes." 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:20 a.m. 
 
 It's unclear how an alleged assault of a reporter by a Montana congressional candidate will affect the special election's outcome — in part because more than a third of the state's registered voters cast absentee ballots before polls opened Thursday. 
 
 Republican Greg Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly throwing a reporter for the Guardian to the ground at his campaign headquarters late Wednesday. 
 
 Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist are seeking to fill the U.S. House seat left vacant when Ryan Zinke resigned to become President Donald Trump's Interior secretary. 
 
 Montana's secretary of state's office says 37 percent of registered voters had returned absentee ballots as of Wednesday. 
 
 Montana has just over 699,000 registered voters. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:40 a.m. 
 
 GOP lawmakers emerging from a closed-door caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on Thursday said they didn't know the facts about Republican Greg Gianforte being charged with misdemeanor assault. 
 
 A reporter from the Guardian accused the tech millionaire of slamming him to the ground and breaking his glasses in an altercation at Gianforte's campaign headquarters in Bozeman on Wednesday afternoon. The reporter had tried to ask Gianforte a question about the latest budget analysis of the GOP health care bill. 
 
 A few lawmakers did comment. 
 
 Asked if assaulting a reporter is appropriate behavior, California Rep. Duncan Hunter said, "Of course not. It's not appropriate behavior. Unless the reporter deserved it." 
 
 Indiana Rep. Luke Messer said he wasn't sure whether the incident would hurt or help Gianforte in Thursday's special election for the open House seat. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:50 a.m. 
 
 The polls are open in a race for Montana's only congressional seat just hours after the front-running candidate was charged with beating up a reporter. 
 
 Republican Greg Gianforte has not appeared in public since he was charged with misdemeanor assault late Wednesday. A reporter from the Guardian accused the tech millionaire of slamming him to the ground and breaking his glasses in an altercation Wednesday afternoon at Gianforte's campaign headquarters in Bozeman. 
 
 Gianforte's camp issued a statement hours before the charge was filed disputing reporter Ben Jacobs' account. But an audio recording Jacobs made and a Fox News crew that witnessed the altercation back up Jacobs' version. 
 
 Three of Montana's biggest newspapers pulled their endorsements of Gianforte but did not endorse his opponents. 
 
 Jacobs told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he was doing his job and asking a question. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5 a.m. 
 
 The Guardian reporter who authorities say was assaulted by a Montana Republican candidate for a U.S. House seat says he never touched the politician before he was thrown to the ground. 
 
 Ben Jacobs told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he was doing his job and asking a question of candidate Greg Gianforte as part of covering Thursday's special election. 
 
 Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault. He's accused of grabbing Jacobs by the throat and throwing him to the ground in his campaign office Wednesday night. Gianforte's campaign blamed Jacobs, saying the reporter was being aggressive and grabbed Gianforte. 
 
 Jacobs said Thursday of Gianforte's account that "the only thing that is factually correct ... is my name and place of employment." 
 
 Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist are seeking to fill the U.S. House seat left vacant when Ryan Zinke resigned to join Trump's Cabinet as secretary of the Interior Department. 
 
 ___ 
 
 12:30 a.m. 
 
 Thursday's special election for Montana's sole congressional seat got a last-minute twist when the Republican candidate, Greg Gianforte, was charged with misdemeanor assault. 
 
 Greg Gianforte was cited for grabbing a reporter by the throat and throwing him to the ground in his campaign office Wednesday night. The reporter, Ben Jacobs of The Guardian, was asking Gianforte about the Republican health care bill. Three Fox News employees witnessed the attack, which was also captured on an audio recording. 
 
 Gianforte's campaign blamed Jacobs for the incident. 
 
 Many voters cast their ballot early so it'll be hard to know the impact of the charge on the election results. Authorities said Jacobs' injuries weren't severe enough for a felony assault charge. ||||| Montana Republican fined $385 and spared jail after pleading guilty to assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs on the eve of Gianforte’s election 
 
 Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte was sentenced to community service, a $385 fine and 20 hours of sessions for anger management after pleading guilty to assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs on the eve of his election. 
 
 In a courtroom packed with journalists and spectators in Bozeman, Montana, Gianforte pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, saying, “Although it was not my intention to hurt him, I understand Ben was injured.” 
 
 After judge Rick West repeatedly asked Gianforte whether he believed he caused injury to Jacobs, the congressman-elect said he did. West initially said he would sentence him to four days in jail, saying he could do a work program as an alternative to spending those nights in jail. But when the judge learned that the assault charge was not eligible for the program, he decided to instead sentence him to 40 hours of community service, emphasizing that he did not want the congressman-elect to go to jail. 
 
 “You accepted responsibility. You apologized,” said West, who noted the Republican tech millionaire’s business accomplishments in his sentencing. The judge also said he did not believe the maximum fine of $500 was necessary. 
 
 'This needs to stop': Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs' statement to court Read more 
 
 In his statement to the court, Jacobs recounted the violent encounter and aftermath: “I asked Mr Gianforte a question in the same manner I have asked questions of hundreds of politicians: congressmen, senators and even the man who is now our president. Mr Gianforte’s response was to slam me to the floor and start punching me. He injured my elbow, broke my glasses and thrust me into a national spotlight I did not seek or desire.” 
 
 Gianforte arrived to court with his wife Susan earlier Monday morning and rushed past photographers and reporters, ignoring their questions. 
 
 The sentencing comes a week after Gianforte reached a settlement with Jacobs in which the Republican apologised to the reporter and agreed to pay $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists. 
 
 In a letter to Jacobs, Gianforte wrote his “physical response” to the Guardian reporter’s “legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful”. 
 
 “I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness,” he added. 
 
 Gianforte was charged with assault just hours before voting began in the 25 May special election to fill Montana’s sole House of Representatives seat, which was vacated by Ryan Zinke after he was appointed president Donald Trump’s secretary of the interior. 
 
 When Jacobs approached the then-candidate at his campaign headquarters in Bozeman to ask a question about the Republican health care bill, Gianforte reacted by throwing the reporter to the ground and punching him. 
 
 Jacobs captured audio of the altercation, and his account was corroborated by a team of Fox News reporters who were in the room. Jacobs’ glasses were broken during the assault. 
 
 Play Video 0:41 Republican Greg Gianforte 'body slams' Guardian reporter in Montana – audio 
 
 “Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him,” Fox News reporter Alicia Alcuna wrote in a first-hand account. “Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter.” 
 
 Gianforte was charged later that night, and Montana’s three largest newspapers quickly withdrew their endorsements of the Republicans. However, the Republican was elected the following day, drawing just over 50% of the vote against Democrat and folk-singer Rob Quist. More than two-thirds of the votes had been cast by mail before the attack on Jacobs occurred. 
 
 The Gianforte campaign initially blamed Jacobs for the incident, issuing a statement that falsely claimed the reporter “grabbed Greg’s wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground”. 
 
 “It’s unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ,” campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon said in the statement. 
 
 Though Gianforte apologized for his actions at his election night victory party, the congressman-elect did not address his campaign’s false statement about the incident until reaching last week’s civil settlement. 
 
 “Notwithstanding anyone’s statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you,” he wrote in the letter. “I am sorry for what I did and the unwanted notoriety this created for you.” 
 
 In his court statement on Monday, Gianforte initially declined to admit that he directly caused Jacobs injuries, saying: “In the scuffle, we fell to the floor, and I understand his elbow was injured.” When the judge asked if he caused injury, Gianforte replied: “I understand bodily injury resulted.” 
 
 Pressed on the question, Gianforte eventually admitted that he was the cause of Jacobs’ injuries. 
 
 For his part, Jacobs noted in court that Gianforte “lied in a defamatory public statement”, but said he now expects Gianforte to be a “strong advocate for a free press and for the first amendment” in Congress. He said he hopes he gets an opportunity to interview him. 
 
 
 
 The reporter also noted that the incident has “had national ramifications on our politics and our culture,” adding, “While I have no doubt that actions like these were an aberration for Congressman-elect Gianforte personally, I worry that, in the context of our political debate, they have become increasingly common. In recent years, our discourse has grown increasingly rancorous and increasingly vile. This needs to stop.” 
 
 Jacobs continued: “There will always be fundamental political disagreements in our society. However, these need not become personal and certainly should never become violent. I hope this court’s decision can send a strong message about the necessity of civil discourse and the important role of the free press and to help heal our political system.” 
 
 At the end of the hearing, Gianforte addressed Jacobs directly, saying: “I just want to say I’m sorry, and if and when you’re ready, I look forward to sitting down with you.” 
 
 However, outside the courtroom following the hearing Gianforte ignored most reporters’ questions, including journalists who asked about Jacobs’ original health care question and another reporter who asked why his campaign initially lied about the assault. Gianforte, his wife and Scanlon rushed into a car waiting outside for them as a protester with a “Lock him up” sign shouted: “You assaulted the first amendment!” 
 
 Guardian US editor Lee Glendinning said in a statement: “This decision should remind all those in positions of authority that a free press, like freedom of speech, is one of the building blocks of American democracy, established under the first amendment. The Guardian thanks our colleagues across the whole media spectrum, whether liberal or conservative, for their solidarity and support for Ben Jacobs over the last few weeks. We will continue to pose tough questions on behalf of our readers.” 
 
 The Montana Democrats called on Gianforte to resign after the sentencing, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called him a “violent criminal” in a statement, saying his “guilty plea to this heinous assault shows he’s absolutely unfit for, and unworthy of, the honor of representing Montana”. Spokespeople for the National Republican Congressional Committee and House speaker Paul Ryan declined to comment on the guilty plea. 
 
 While Monday’s proceedings bring a close to the criminal case, Gianforte could still face discipline in Congress. On 2 June, a coalition of press freedom organizations filed a complaint with congressional ethics officials asking that Gianforte be disciplined for the assault.
– "Any guy that can do a body-slam, he's my guy," President Trump shouted to a cheering Montana audience Thursday night as he simulated slamming someone to the ground, then noting, "I shouldn't say that." Trump was discussing Rep. Greg Gianforte, who assaulted Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs last year during the special election for the House seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, a misdemeanor assault to which he pleaded guilty and completed community service and an anger management class. Trump said after the incident, he feared Gianforte had blown his chance at the congressional seat. "I said, 'Oh, this is terrible, he's gonna lose the election,'" Trump recounted. "Then I said, 'Well, wait a minute—I know Montana pretty well. I think it might help him.' And it did." Trump was in Big Sky Country stumping for Matt Rosendale in his race for Democrat Jon Tester's Senate seat. Reaction came quickly: John Mulholland, US editor of the Guardian, put out a statement after the rally blasting Trump's words as "an attack on the First Amendment," asking for an apology and adding, "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." ABC News reports on what the Toronto Star's Daniel Dale calls the "most significant" and "truly horrible" moment in the rally: "The president is gleefully applauding violence against a journalist." Trump also praised Gianforte as "smart" and then advised the crowd to "never wrestle him." (Trump seems to acknowledge Khashoggi is dead.)