(Ken Silva, Headline USA) During a Tuesday event about the looming federal government shutdown, Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., was asked about the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Montana.
Rosendale hasn’t formally announced his candidacy, but he nevertheless gave a rousing explanation for why he’s the preferable Republican to challenge incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Tester: The populist Rosendale supports peace with Russia, while the other potential challenger to Tester, upstart Tim Sheehy, has expressed support for total war.
“If we don’t replace Jon Tester, this is going to get worse. And if some chance this other individual is able to secure [Tester’s] seat, what we’re going to have is yet another yes-man for Mitch McConnell,” Rosendale said, referring to Sheehy.
“Literally, he believes we should have American troops and planes and bombs in Ukraine. That would be devastating to the United States,” Rosendale said.
Rosendale was referencing hawkish comments made by Sheehy before he announced his candidacy for Senate.
On his LinkedIn page last year, Sheehy reportedly wrote that the U.S. must “stop him now before the price tag for putting Putin down will be a lot higher … Gofund me pages and twitter likes aren’t enough. Soldiers, planes, bombs and bullets will be needed against this Tyrant.”
In a separate post later in the year, Sheehy blasted the Biden administration for not doing enough to help Ukraine.
“Our inaction in the face of unchecked evil is shameful,” he said at the time. “The time to intervene on behalf of a free democracy is now.”
Since declaring his candidacy, Sheehy has backed off his hawkish comments. In July, he reportedly told a Montana talk show that it’s time to end U.S. involvement in Ukraine.
“We are a year into this war and America has done our duty in stopping this vicious and unprovoked attack, and we must now demand a settlement which ends the killing of innocent people and the unlimited supply of arms from the United States,” he reportedly said in July.
But Sheehy’s flip-flop hasn’t been enough to win the support of potential challenger Rosendale, who also blasted him for apparently supporting controversial ESG investing practices, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Rosendale, who has consistently opposed U.S. intervention in Ukraine from the outset, said that Sheehy has clearly “demonstrated his loyalty to Mitch McConnell.”
If the 37-year-old Sheehy wins Tester’s seat next November, then the establishment RINOs could hold that seat for the next 30 years, Rosendale warned.
The Montana Free Press website reported earlier this month that Sheehy and Rosendale— the latter of whom unsuccessfully ran against Tester in 2018—have slight leads over the incumbent in the polls.
The Senate primary in Montana is scheduled for June 4, 2024.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
