Michael Grimm's Mentor Explains The Congressman's State Of The Union Meltdown: "He Gets Very Little Sleep"

Former Staten Island borough president Guy Molinari has come to the defense of Rep. Michael Grimm, insisting Grimm's relentless work ethic and lack of sleep prompted his threat to "break" a reporter in half Tuesday.

“I think he’s just been working so hard,” Molinari, who is a mentor to Grimm, told The New York Times. “He gets very little sleep.”

Following the State of the Union address Tuesday evening, Grimm told NY1 reporter Michael Scotto he would throw him off a balcony and break him in half "like a boy," after Scotto questioned the lawmaker about an investigation looking into alleged fundraising violations.

Grimm eventually apologized for the physical threat, but the incident has resurfaced other instances of hotheaded behavior in his past.

Grimm has spoken in the past about the stress, long hours and grueling schedule that are a part of his job. In 2012, Grimm told The New York Times about how he spends his Sundays in an article titled "Recharging Body and Soul." His routine includes making an effort to sleep in, workout, attend Mass, call his mother and have dinner with his family in Queens.