Donald Trump headlines Montana rally after plane was diverted but landed safely

Matthew Brown, Associated Press

BOZEMAN, Montana (AP) — Donald Trump traveled to Montana for a Friday nighttime rally intended to drum up support for ousting nan state’s Democratic senator, but nan erstwhile president’s level first had to divert to an airdrome connected nan different broadside of nan Rocky Mountains because of a mechanical issue, according to airdrome staff.

Trump’s level was en way to Bozeman, Montana, erstwhile it was diverted Friday day to Billings, 142 miles to nan east, according to Jenny Mockel, administrative adjunct astatine Billings Logan International Airport. Trump continued to Bozeman via backstage jet.

The erstwhile president came to Montana hoping to remedy immoderate unfinished business from 2018, erstwhile he campaigned many times successful Big Sky Country successful a grounded bid to oust incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. On Friday, Trump ripped into nan three-term senator, mocking him for being overweight and for insinuating he sometimes sided pinch nan erstwhile president.

“He voted to impeach maine — that feline voted to impeach me,” Trump said of Tester, whom he called a “slob” pinch “the biggest tummy I’ve ever seen.”

Trump besides invited to nan shape Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, his erstwhile White House physician, to further slam Montana’s elder senator. Tester sank Jackson’s information to beryllium Trump’s Veterans Affairs secretary, alleging nan expert drank and utilized medicine narcotics while connected duty.

Tester has tried to person voters he’s aligned pinch Trump connected galore issues, mirroring his successful strategy from six years ago. While that worked successful a non-presidential predetermination year, it faces a much captious trial this autumn pinch Tester’s opponent, erstwhile Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, trying to nexus nan three-term incumbent to Democratic statesmanlike campaigner Kamala Harris.

Trump kicked disconnected his rally astir 90 minutes down schedule and instantly began lacing into Tester. “We are going to conclusion extremist near Democrat Jon Tester, he’s terrible,” Trump said. “We’re going to evict crazy Kamala,” he continued, workshopping a nickname connected his caller rival.

Harris has benefitted nationally from a burst of enthusiasm among halfway Democratic constituencies, who coalesced quickly astir her aft President Joe Biden withdrew from nan run past month. She’s drawn large crowds successful plaything states, touring this week pinch Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her prime to beryllium her vice statesmanlike nominee.

Trump’s only rally this week, meanwhile, was successful a authorities he won by 16 percent points 4 years agone alternatively than a November battleground. Facing caller unit successful nan title from a campaigner pinch surging enthusiasm, Trump connected Thursday called questions astir his deficiency of plaything authorities stops “stupid.”

“I don’t person to spell location because I’m starring those states,” he said. “I’m going because I want to thief senators and congressmen get elected.”

He will adhd connected fundraising stops successful Wyoming and Colorado.

Susan Reneau, 72, of Missoula, Mont., arrives earlier Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump speaks astatine a run rally successful Bozeman, Mont., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. | Janie Osborne, Associated Press

Trump could beryllium decisive successful Montana’s Senate race

Friday’s rally astatine Montana State University drew thousands of GOP supporters. Yet nan erstwhile president’s bigger effect could beryllium simply having his sanction supra Sheehy’s connected nan ballot successful November, said University of Montana governmental expert Rob Saldin.

“There is simply a conception of nan electorate that will move retired erstwhile Trump is connected nan ticket,” Saldin said. And that could use Sheehy, a Trump protagonist and newcomer to authorities who made a luck disconnected an aerial firefighting business.

Republicans person been connected a rotation successful Montana for much than a decade and now clasp each statewide agency isolated from for Tester’s.

Tester won each of his erstwhile Senate contests by a constrictive margin, casting himself arsenic a plainspoken husbandman who builds individual connections pinch group successful Montana and is consenting to break pinch his statement connected issues that matter to them. He’s besides go a prolific fundraiser.

The title has drawn nationalist attraction pinch Democrats clinging to a razor-thin mostly successful nan Senate and defending acold much seats than nan GOP this year. Tester is considered among nan astir susceptible Democratic incumbents.

For him to win, ample numbers of Trump supporters would person to ballot a divided summons and get down nan Democratic senator.

Trump’s thrust to oust Tester traces backmost to nan lawmaker’s activity successful 2018 arsenic president of nan Senate Committee connected Veterans’ Affairs. Tester revealed past misconduct by Trump’s individual physician, Ronny Jackson, that sank Jackson’s information to lead nan Veterans Affairs Department.

Then-President Trump took nan matter personally and came to Montana 4 times to run for Republican Matt Rosendale, who was past nan authorities auditor. Rosendale mislaid by 3 percent points.

Tester has positioned himself isolated from nationalist Democrats

Before Trump’s latest visit, Tester has sought to insulate himself against charges that he’s portion of nan Democratic constitution by rolling retired nan names of Republicans who support him, including erstwhile Montana Gov. Marc Racicot. His run highlighted much than 20 pieces of legislation, galore dealing pinch veterans’ issues, that Tester sponsored and Trump signed.

Tester besides was nan sole Democratic delegate from Montana to withhold a ballot backing Harris arsenic nan party’s statesmanlike campaigner successful nan aftermath of Biden’s withdrawal. And erstwhile nan Democratic National Convention takes spot later this period successful Chicago, Tester will beryllium backmost successful Montana “farming and gathering look to look pinch Montanans,” run spokesperson Harry Child said.

The past clip Tester attended nan Democratic National Convention was successful 2008. That’s besides nan past clip a Democratic statesmanlike campaigner came anyplace adjacent winning Montana, pinch President Barack Obama losing by conscionable complete 2 percent points.

On Friday, successful an question and reply arsenic he waited for nan Trump rally to start, Sheehy dismissed nan thought that Tester tin past Montana’s plaything to nan right. “Jon Tester is by 95%-plus successful lockstep pinch nan Biden-Harris agenda,” Sheehy said. “So I don’t deliberation his effort to connection himself arsenic a mean is going to work.”

A akin business is processing successful Ohio, wherever three-term Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown faces a reliable title successful a authorities expected to ballot for Trump.

Harris visited Ohio erstwhile nan 2 were Senate colleagues to raise money for Brown’s 2018 campaign, but Brown has said he has nary plans to run pinch her this year. Like Tester, Brown has highlighted authorities he worked connected that Trump signed into law.

Friday’s rally takes spot successful Gallatin County, which Tester has go progressively reliant connected complete nan people of his governmental career.

He mislaid nan region successful his first Senate race, successful 2006, but his support has since grown. A important separator of triumph successful Gallatin successful 2018 helped push him up of Rosendale.

Republican Don Seifert, a erstwhile Gallatin County commissioner, said he voted for Tester that twelvemonth and plans to do truthful again this year.

Seifert backed Trump successful 2016 and said he has continued to support different Republicans, including Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and Sen. Steve Daines.

“Montanans thin to ballot for nan personification complete nan party,” Seifert said. “For nan authorities of Montana, Jon is nan 1 that tin do what we need.”

But Sheehy says Tester has mislaid touch pinch his location authorities and fallen into measurement pinch Democrats successful Washington. The Republican said successful a connection this week to supporters that Tester was “responsible for nan emergence of Kamala Harris” because he served arsenic president of nan Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2015 to 2017, erstwhile she was elected to nan Senate from California.

Tester has outraised Sheehy by much than three-to-one successful run donations reported to nan Federal Election Commission. However, extracurricular groups supporting Sheehy person helped nan Republican dress up overmuch of that gap. Spending successful nan title is connected way to transcend $200 cardinal arsenic advertisements from nan 2 sides saturate Montana’s airwaves.