There’s been some commentary about how Gianforte’s body slam of a reporter — which his campaign lied about – is the kind of thing that is bound to happen in Trump’s America. I thought Trump’s calling out of individual reporters by name at his rallies during the campaign was unseemly and wrong, but there’s no connection between that and an adult in possession of all his faculties throwing to the ground and punching someone for asking some unwelcome questions. Unfortunately, though, politics doesn’t always attract the most commendable people. Before there was Greg Gianforte (or Donald Trump), there was Michael Grimm. All that said, it’s dismaying to see some conservatives defending or making excuses for Gianforte’s assault — I guess they haven’t been paying attention to the debate on campus, where conservatives have been trying to make the case that hearing speech you don’t like doesn’t justify violence.