Remember when Ronald Reagan body slammed a reporter to the cheers of the conservative grassroots? Neither do I.

Yet in the aftermath of the assault on Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, by Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate for a special House election in Montana, too many conservatives are either doubting the event occurred, despite audio evidence and witness testimony by a Fox News crew, or praising Mr. Gianforte for giving the press what it deserves.

Ben is a friend of mine, who stood up for me when I was grabbed and bruised by one of Donald Trump’s campaign managers, Corey Lewandowski, during the Republican primary.

His assault was far more brutal than mine — and given the report from Fox News journalists in the room, he understated the violence. But like Ben, I faced skepticism and accusations. Despite the fact that there was audio evidence of my attack and a Washington Post reporter had witnessed the incident, many conservatives said I was lying. When video came out proving my account, those who labeled me a hoaxer changed their tune to suggest I deserved what I got.