The president of the National Press Club on Thursday decried GOP House special election candidate Greg Gianforte’s alleged assault of a reporter, calling it "outright unconstitutional.”

“This is not Turkey, I get that; this is not North Korea, I get that," National Press Club Jeff Ballou told The Guardian. "But the steady deterioration of atmosphere, of civility and common decency, of outright unconstitutional behavior towards journalists, is deeply worrying,”

The Washington-based Newseum also weighed in on Gianforte, who received a misdemeanor assault citation by police Wednesday after an altercation with Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. Jacobs said Gianforte “body slammed” him for asking a question about healthcare.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Do not be fooled. It’s democracy that got ‘body slammed’ Wednesday night. It’s respect for the rule of law that was dealt a blow," wrote Gene Policinski, the Newseum's chief operating officer.

"It’s the First Amendment that was insulted by Gianforte’s attempt to justify what he did: attacking a reporter asking a reasonable question, on a matter of great public interest, to a political candidate on the eve of an important election," he continued.

Gianforte, who is running for the open House seat in Montana, allegedly slammed Jacobs to the floor at the candidate’s campaign headquarters in Bozeman as the reporter posed questions about the Republicans’ ObamaCare repeal plans — a charge Gianforte denies. Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna witnessed the incident and backed Jacobs's account.

"Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him," Acuna wrote for Fox News’s website. She provided a similar account on air on Fox on Thursday.

"[Members of my crew] and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, ‘I’m sick and tired of this!’ ”

Democrats seized the opportunity to call on Gianforte to quit the race.

“Greg Gianforte must immediately withdraw his candidacy after his alleged violent assault of an innocent journalist,” said Tyler Law, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

The DCCC also put together an 11th-hour Facebook ad campaign pointing to the episode in hopes of swaying voters at the last minute.

Gianforte is expected to appear in court before June 7. He faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail, a $500 fine, or both.

The incident came one day before Thursday’s special election between Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist to fill the seat formerly held by Ryan Zinke, who left the House to become President Trump’s Interior Secretary.