Thin-skinned Dem senator hits back at GOP mocking him for driving a Prius with furious rant boasting about all the cars he owns, including ’86 Chevy
Endangered Montana Sen. Jon Tester railed against the “bunch of jacka**es” on the National Republican Senatorial Committee after they mocked him for driving a Prius.
Tester, a Democrat in deep-red Montana who is up for re-election in November, often portrays himself as a modest dirt farmer.
However, the NRSC has picked up footage of Tester, 67, driving the red Toyota hybrid vehicle, which he reportedly purchased in 2020 to drive around Washington.
“There aren’t many farmers in Montana who drive a Prius. Jon Tester has gone to Washington,” NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud said in a statement.
Tester – who will face Republican Tim Sheehy in November in his quest for a fourth term – was angered by the accusation that he was selling out.
Endangered Montana Senator Jon Tester was furious with the ‘bunch of jacka**es’ on the National Republican Senatorial Committee after they mocked him for driving a Prius
Tester, a Democrat in deep-red Montana who is up for re-election in November, often portrays himself as a modest dirt farmer. However, the NRSC has picked up footage of Tester, 67, driving the red Toyota hybrid vehicle, which he reportedly purchased in 2020 to drive around Washington.
“What a bunch of losers,” he said when asked about Republicans’ portrayal of him as a Washington elite.
Tester, a multi-millionaire, then bizarrely went on to list the various non-hybrid cars the senator also owns. HuffPo.
“I have an ’86 Chevy. I have a 2018 GMC. I have a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. I have a Celica. I have a Peterbilt. I have a ’67 International truck. I have a ’96 International truck. I have a ’78 GMC. Do you want me to continue?’
Tester also bragged about how much he spent on fuel to power the vehicles that helped him around the farm.
He asked sarcastically, “I’m going to spend $10,000 this week on diesel fuel to fill my bulk tanks that I use for planting my crops in the ground. Does that make it okay now?’
The senator is up for re-election in one of the reddest states and Republicans believe this is one of their best chances to flip a seat as they look to retake the Senate majority this fall.
Tester has served in the Senate since 2007 and won his most recent reelection in 2018 with more than 50 percent of the vote.
He was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and is the only remaining Democrat holding statewide office in Montana.
Tester, a multi-millionaire who often presents himself as a humble farmer, then bizarrely went on to list the various non-hybrid cars the senator also owns
Tester also bragged about how much he spent on fuel to power the vehicles that helped him on the farm
The third-generation farmer, who previously served as chairman of the state Senate, chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
Tester has touted his deep roots in the state and fought to preserve his “way of life.”
While Tester ranks as one of the most bipartisan senators in Congress and touts his moderate credentials in the increasingly partisan chamber, he has voted for Biden’s biggest legislative priorities, including the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Bill.
More recently, Republicans have accused him of violating the Laken Riley Act as he runs for re-election in a difficult situation for Democrats.
The bill would require federal officials to arrest immigrants in the country illegally who commit crimes such as burglary or theft until they are removed from the US. Tester previously voted against it as an amendment.
But this year he finds himself in a state that Donald Trump carried by more than 16 percent in 2020. He will be at the top again this presidential year.
Tester’s expected opponent in the general election is Republican frontrunner Tim Sheehy, a close Trump ally.
Sheehy is a businessman and former Navy SEAL who graduated from the Naval Academy in 2008.
Senator Jon Tester was first elected to the Senate in 2006. Republicans see his seat as one of their best chances to flip the Senate. They have focused much of their attacks on his votes for President Biden’s priorities
GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy has voiced his support for former President Trump as he bids to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Tester
He is a top Republican Party recruit, backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and endorsed by Trump earlier this year. He was approved by the NRA on Monday.
Sheehy is the CEO of Bridger Aerospace, an aerial firefighting company with multiple government contracts that went public last year at a valuation of nearly $900 million. Financial disclosures also reveal that he has a number of investment and business interests.
Federal Election Commission documents show he gave his campaign more than $2 million ahead of the state’s primaries.
If Sheehy is elected, he would be one of the wealthiest members of Congress.
He has aligned himself closely with Trump and focused some of his messaging in the final days of the primaries on condemning Trump.
The day Trump was found guilty of 34 charges of falsifying corporate records in New York, the ex-president posted a video on Truth Social urging Montanans to vote for Sheehy on Tuesday and call him a “true American warrior.” to call.
In response to Trump’s conviction, Sheehy released a Trump-esque statement: “RIGGED! New York vs. Donald Trump is a state-sponsored political prosecution led by the party of Joe Biden and Jon Tester. WE THE PEOPLE stand with PRESIDENT TRUMP!’
Sheehy will also be the first Republican Senate candidate to run an ad focusing on Trump’s conviction, according to Politico.
He has attacked Tester for being one of the top recipients of lobbying contributions, pointing to tracking by the organization Open Secrets, accusing him of flip-flopping on immigration and trying to tie the senator to President Biden.