WATCH: GOP congressmen praise body slamming and say liberals 'precipitated' Montana attack

Republican members of Congress on Thursday shrugged off the news that a GOP congressional candidate in Montana body slammed a reporter.

GOP nominee Greg Gianforte was charged with assault on Wednesday after witnesses said that he attacked Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian.

On Thursday, MSNBC caught up with several Republican lawmakers who either laughed off the incident or blamed liberals.

"You know, we didn't have a course on body slamming when I went to school," Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) joked. "I missed that course. I'm sorry I missed it."

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) said that violence was unacceptable, but he insisted that "the left" had "precipitate" the attack.

"The left has precipitated this tense confrontational approach throughout the country in recent months," Franks opined. "I reject any kind of thing where we use physical violence in a situation like that. It should not have happened."

New Jersey Republican Rep. Leonard Lance argued that the press should be treated with respect, adding, "I, of course, hope that the Republican is successful today because I think that his views are the views of the people of Montana."

Watch the video below from MSNBC.