Journalists and people in politics have slammed Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) for physically threatening a NY1 News reporter after the State of the Union address Tuesday night.
The Democratic National Committee’s communications director, Mo Elleithee, commented on the incident on Twitter.
A staffer at MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow” show said the two-term congressman will now be famous because of the altercation.
After President Obama’s address, reporter Michael Scotto asked Grimm in an interview to comment on new revelations that have surfaced in the ethics investigation into Grimm’s campaign finances.
Grimm walked away, and Scotto said on-camera that Grimm refused to respond to the latest allegations.
With the camera still rolling, Grimm returned into the shot and aggressively confronted Scotto.
One reporter joked Grimm had returned for another reason.
“Let me be clear to you: If you ever do that to me again, I’ll throw you off this f***ing balcony,” Grimm said to Scotto.
Scotto replied that he had asked a “valid question,” but the congressman said “I’ll break you in half.”
In a statement released afterward, Grimm said he was “extremely annoyed” with Scotto because he was in a rush and Scotto “insisted on taking a disrespectful and cheap shot at the end of the interview, because I did not have time to speak off-topic.”
National Journal’s Ron Fournier tweeted the congressman may need help.
Republican Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary during the George W. Bush administration, tweeted that Grimm did not make a smart move.
The press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee noted that Grimm once waved a gun around in a New York City nightclub when he worked for the FBI.
One New York reporter said Mayor Bill de Blasio previously called on the NYPD to release records from that investigation.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington tweeted that while Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) delivered the Tea Party response to Obama’s address, Grimm delivered the anger management response.
Scotto said on Wednesday morning that he wouldn’t pursue the case any further because the video of the altercation speaks for itself.
Grace Rauh, another NY1 News political reporter, tweeted Wednesday that de Blasio is calling on House leadership to denounce Grimm’s “unacceptable”behavior.