Trump rallies in Montana, hoping to swing a precarious down-ballot race

Donald Trump was in Bozeman, Montana, Friday night, rallying supporters and working to swing down-ballot races in a state that he won during his 2020 campaign for president.

"Less than three months from now, we are going to defeat radical left Democrat John Tester and send Tim Sheehy to the United States Senate," he said.

Trump's plane diverted to Billings earlier in the day following a mechanical error, airport staff said. Scripps News Helena received images and video of Trump's aircraft on the tarmac at the airport.

In video released by his campaign after the landing, Trump said he was glad to be in Montana. He didn't mention the early stop in Billings.

Trump reportedly took a private plane the rest of the way to Bozeman.

As he began the rally, Trump commented on his recent travel around the state, but did not specifically mention his early landing.

Weighing in on a close race

Trump is working to deliver Montana's incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester a defeat in 2024, where he stands to lose one of the few positions still held by Democrats in the state. Tester has only narrowly won previous Senate elections and is considered a vulnerable seat in the chamber this year.

His rival in the race, political newcomer Tim Sheehy, says Tester hews too closely to Democratic policies to appeal to Montana's voters.

“Jon Tester is by 95%-plus in lockstep with the Biden-Harris agenda," Sheehy told The Associated Press. "So I don’t think his attempt to message himself as a moderate is going to work.”

Trump's visit comes despite his winning Montana by 16 points in 2020, and amid a revitalized national race. But at a press conference earlier this week, he called questions about his prioritizing Montana over swing states "stupid."

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