Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) on Friday called for more military veterans to run for office, saying they would conduct themselves better than the newly elected Montana GOP congressman who was charged with assaulting a reporter.

Greg Gianforte won Thursday’s special election for the open Montana House seat, one day after he allegedly assaulted a reporter asking him a question about the House GOP healthcare bill. Moulton ripped Gianforte for the incident.

“If you can’t handle tough questions from a reporter, then you’re going to a have a real tough time handling questions from constituents,” Moulton told CNN's "New Day."

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“His job is to be an elected representative in our democracy, and there is no more important bedrock principal in democracy than a free press.”

Moulton, an Iraq War veteran, added he was working to recruit veterans to run for office because they will "put country first over politics" and conduct themselves better.

“People who have faced much tougher challenges in their lives than answering a tough question from a reporter," he said.

Moulton told Politico in April that 22 veterans have either committed to running or are in serious discussions about the possibility.

Gianforte’s victory was seen as a relief to Republicans who were concerned about the tight race in a district, which has been considered a Republican stronghold for years.