WATCH: ‘Body slam’ becomes punch line in Congress

Congressional reporters should learn to protect themselves if Republican Greg Gianforte wins Thursday’s special election in Montana, a House Democrat joked Thursday.

“I’d recommend reporters enroll in self-defense classes,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said with a laugh during an interview with The Hill’s Molly K. Hooper.

Gianforte was charged with assault on Wednesday after allegedly attacking a reporter from The Guardian. The reporter said Gianforte “body slammed” him and broke his glasses.

{mosads}The Republican is running against Democrat Rob Quist for the House seat left open by Ryan Zinke, who is now President Trump’s Interior Secretary.

Should Gianforte win the race, Rep. Mike Simpson (Idaho) would sit on the same side of the aisle but perhaps not the same row of seats on the House Floor.

“I probably don’t want to be within arm’s reach in case he decides to body slam me,” Simpson joked to The Hill.

Simpson echoed the sentiment of several lawmakers who called the reports that Gianforte “body-slammed” a reporter “bizarre.”

One exception was Iowa Rep. Steve King (R), who declined to criticize Gianforte.

“We should give everyone in public life the benefit of the doubt, and they ought to have their voice heard and it should be listened to objectively.”

Some of Gianforte’s potential colleagues pointed out that he will face a tenacious, free-roaming, microphone-wielding Capitol Hill press corps if he is elected to Congress.

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Mo.) said Gianforte “better get used to it or go back and try to be a dishwasher or something instead of dealing with the media.”

Watch the video above to hear the lawmakers in their own words.