Tim Sheehy Facing Scrutiny For “Papering Over” Trump Criticism
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
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monica@mtdems.org
Helena, MT – New reporting from the Daily Beast highlights how Tim Sheehy continues to face scrutiny for attempting to cover up past Trump criticism ahead of a potential 2024 run.
Earlier this month, Daily Beast revealed that Sheehy did not vote in the 2016 presidential primary, and he gave the maximum allowable donation of $5,000 to Trump’s primary opponent Nikki Haley in March 2021 – shortly after insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
Read more from Daily Beast about Sheehy’s cover-up attempt:
Daily Beast: GOP Senate Candidates Who Want You to Forget About Their Past Trump Criticism
By Sam Brodey
May 29, 2023
Republicans running for Senate are taking a page out of J.D. Vance's playbook and papering over their past criticism to go full MAGA.
Across the emerging 2024 Senate battleground, [Bernie] Moreno is hardly the only GOP hopeful to have papered over or outright erased their past opposition—or even just ambivalence—toward Trump and his trademark policies in favor of full-throated support.
In Montana, wealthy businessman Tim Sheehy—Senate GOP brass’ favored candidate to take on Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)—recently said he is backing Trump 2024 “100 percent.” But he didn’t vote for Trump in the 2016 primary and donated the maximum amount to Nikki Haley’s PAC after Jan. 6. His first campaign check to Trump came this year.
It’s uncomfortable even for Republicans who have traditionally fit the MAGA mold. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), who is also mulling a run against Tester, has long been a staunch ally of Trump. But he has held off on endorsing him in 2024—despite appearing personally at the post-indictment rally at Mar-a-Lago—as his wealthy backers at the conservative Club For Growth go to war against Trump.
According to Spain, the GOP strategist, candidates have tended to fare poorly when they attempt to “thread the needle” when it comes to Trump—courting his voters while not going outright MAGA.
“Voters are capable of discerning whether or not a candidate is authentic,” he said. “And we’ll find out whether or not what some of these candidates are doing is enough to pass muster.”
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