On May 24, 2017, Greg Gianforte, then a Republican candidate for Montana's at-large congressional district, assaulted reporter Ben Jacobs of The Guardian newspaper. The incident occurred at Gianforte's campaign headquarters in Bozeman on the eve of a special election. Jacobs had attempted to ask Gianforte a question about the Congressional Budget Office's scoring of the American Health Care Act when Gianforte allegedly body-slammed him and broke his glasses.

The assault was widely reported and condemned, leading to Gianforte being charged with misdemeanor assault. Despite the incident, Gianforte won the special election the following day. He later pleaded guilty to the assault, was fined, ordered to perform community service, and complete anger management classes.

This event became a national news story, drawing significant attention to Montana's political landscape and raising questions about the treatment of journalists and political accountability. It remains a controversial and memorable moment in recent Montana history, highlighting the intense and sometimes volatile nature of political campaigns.