Candidate kicked out reporter who was called an a**hole during live speech
Republican Anthony Constantino ordered 7 News reporter Garrett Domblewski to leave his election night party in Amsterdam, New York, after using profanity on live television.
By Julia Novak ·
Republican candidate Anthony Constantino ordered a local news reporter and his cameraman to leave his election night gathering on Tuesday. The incident occurred while Constantino was thanking supporters and criticizing the press on a live broadcast.
Constantino was leading Democratic opponent Blake Gendebien in the race for the 21st Congressional District at the time of the event. The party was held in Amsterdam, New York, a location about a three-hour drive from Watertown. The 7 News station aired between 15 and 16 minutes of the candidate's speech as the lead story on its 11 p.m. newscast.
During the address, Constantino thanked President Donald Trump, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and political strategist Roger Stone. He also used the phrase "the evil news media" to describe the press corps covering the event. Several individuals who took the stage used inappropriate language before the network cut its live coverage to report on other regional election results.
Constantino specifically targeted 7 News reporter Garrett Domblewski during the speech. He called Domblewski and 7 News anchor Jeff Cole "a**holes." He also directed a similar profane remark at a reporter from a different news organization. Constantino then instructed Domblewski to leave the venue. The crowd joined in a chant that said, "Kick him out. Kick him out."
Five or six security guards escorted Domblewski out of the building. As the reporter was led to the outside, Constantino and the remaining attendees chanted, "F**k the evil media." Domblewski reported live from the parking lot immediately after being removed from the event.
Domblewski stated he was unsure why Constantino singled him out for removal. He noted that he had conducted a cordial interview with the candidate earlier that evening, a segment of which aired on the 10 p.m. newscast. The candidate's campaign had invited local media to the event. A campaign email sent to the news crews said, "Looking forward to seeing you all."
