On September 19, in Orem, Utah, the mayor of the city was subjected to an assault when the grown-up daughter of a local reporter spat on him. This incident occurred following some critical comments he had made about her journalistic endeavors during a City Council session. The video of this incident quickly gained widespread attention after being broadcasted.
The video depicts Linnea Pugmire, a 31-year-old reporter, engaging in physical confrontation with Mayor David Young. She can be seen swinging, spitting, and questioning the mayor about his disparaging remarks regarding her mother. At one point in the footage, she can be heard shouting, “How dare you,” immediately after spitting at Mayor Young and delivering a punch, prompting the mayor to grasp her by her blue shirt. Subsequent to the altercation, local law enforcement took Pugmire into custody while reporters’ cameras documented the incident.
Various accounts indicate that Genelle Pugmire, the mother of Linnea Pugmire, serves as a reporter for The Daily Herald. Numerous users on social media have characterized her as openly critical of Mayor Young. The Orem mayor has conveyed his concerns not only regarding the newspaper’s editorial position opposing him but also regarding the reporting style and headline composition of many of its journalists, on multiple occasions.
Just a few hours prior to the physical confrontation involving the 31-year-old daughter of the reporter, Mayor Young spoke about some of the newspaper’s articles during an Orem Council meeting. He expressed to reporters and those present that the recent articles were evidently straying from their usual course.
When questioned about the article’s content, Mayor Young mentioned that despite advice from public relations experts advising him to avoid this course of action, he found it necessary to comment on the matter due to the situation reaching an absurd level. He proceeded to display various articles he had previously printed out, emphasizing that he didn’t wish to exaggerate their content but felt compelled to address it.
Following the meeting, the reporter’s daughter approached him along with a group of others. After spitting on him and delivering a punch, she inquired if he had any awareness of her identity. Mayor Young responded that he didn’t know who she was and remarked that she was repulsive, expressing his frustration with continually being challenged by her mother.
