Story highlights Gianforte has been charged with misdemeanor assault

Speaker Paul Ryan: 'There's never a call for physical altercations.'

Washington (CNN) House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that Republican House candidate Greg Gianforte should apologize after a reporter for the Guardian said Gianforte "body slammed" him.

Gianforte is running in a special election to fill an open House seat in Montana. The altercation took place at Gianforte's campaign headquarters in Bozeman after reporter Ben Jacobs tried to ask him about Republicans' plans for health care. Gianforte was later charged with misdemeanor assault.

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Ryan told reporters at a news conference, "Physical alteration? There's never a call for physical altercations. There's no time where a physical altercation should occur with the press or just between human beings .... that is wrong and should not have happened." Ryan told reporters at a news conference, "Physical alteration? There's never a call for physical altercations. There's no time where a physical altercation should occur with the press or just between human beings .... that is wrong and should not have happened."

"Should the gentleman apologize? Yes. He should apologize," Ryan added.

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