Donald Trump headlines rally in Montana, aiming to oust Democratic senator

Donald Trump traveled to Montana for a rally as part of a longtime effort to oust the state’s Democratic senator.

The former president went to Bozeman, Mont., hoping to remedy some unfinished business from 2018, when he campaigned repeatedly in Big Sky Country in a failed bid to oust Sen. Jon Tester. On Friday, Trump ripped into the three-term senator, mocking him for his weight and calling him a “slob.”

Trump’s drive to oust Tester traces back to the lawmaker’s work in 2018 as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Tester revealed past misconduct by Trump’s former White House physician, Ronny Jackson, that sank Jackson’s nomination to lead the Veterans Affairs Department. A scathing report by the Department of Defense inspector general later substantiated allegations including that Jackson violated the policy on drinking alcohol on a presidential trip.

Trump took the matter personally. On Friday, Trump invited Jackson, now a Texas congressman, to the stage to assail Tester.

Tester has aimed to convince voters he’s aligned with Trump on many issues, mirroring his successful strategy from six years ago. While that worked in a nonpresidential election year, it faces a more critical test this fall with Tester’s opponent, former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, trying to link the three-term incumbent to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

En route to the rally, Trump’s plane had to divert to an airport on the other side of the Rocky Mountains because of a mechanical issue, according to airport staff. Trump’s plane was diverted to Billings, 142 miles east of Bozeman, according to Jenny Mockel, administrative assistant at Billings Logan International Airport. Trump continued to Bozeman via private jet.

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Trump kicked off his rally about 90 minutes behind schedule and immediately began lacing into Tester. “We are going to defeat radical left Democrat Jon Tester, he’s terrible,” Trump said. “We’re going to evict crazy Kamala,” he continued, workshopping a nickname on his new rival.

Harris has benefited nationally from a burst of enthusiasm among core Democratic constituencies, who coalesced quickly around her after President Biden withdrew from the campaign last month. She’s drawn big crowds in swing states, touring this week with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her choice to be her vice presidential nominee.

Trump’s only rally this week, meanwhile, was in a state he won by 16 percentage points four years ago rather than a November battleground. Trump on Thursday called questions about his lack of swing state stops “stupid,” saying he was going to safer states “because I want to help senators and congressmen get elected.”

He will add on fundraising stops in Wyoming and Colorado.

Friday’s rally at Montana State University drew thousands of GOP supporters. Republicans in Montana hold every statewide office except for Tester’s.

Tester won each of his previous Senate contests by a narrow margin, casting himself as a plainspoken farmer who builds personal connections with people in Montana and is willing to break with his party on issues that matter to them. He’s also become a prolific fundraiser.

The race has drawn national attention with Democrats clinging to a razor-thin majority in the Senate and defending far more seats than the GOP this year. Tester is considered among the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents.

For him to win, large numbers of Trump supporters would have to vote a split ticket and get behind the Democratic senator.

Brown writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Mont., and Julie Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.