Trump will seek the support of the Montana candidate

The Trump Democrats and the Senate of the States won by the President in 2016 will fight this fall against voters like Mr. Swick, who still enthusiastically support the president, but may decide to keep their Democrats in Washington. . Mr. Tester is one of 10 Democrat Senators to be re-elected this year in states where Mr. Trump has defeated the Democratic candidate

Hillary Clinton.

Republicans currently hold 51 seats in the Senate, compared to 49 controlled by Democrats. The GOP aims to take some of the Trump-state Democrats to make up for losses suffered in November so that they can protect or expand their caucus. Of the 10 Democrats in the state of red, four are listed by Cook's political report as "tossups"; three Republican seats are ranked in the same way. The popularity of Mr. Tester is considered "probable" in the column of Democrats

. Many of these vulnerable democrats plan to retain their seat in the Senate by positioning themselves as champions for their local constituents rather than touting progressive programs like Medicare- For Mr. Tester, this means focusing on public lands policy and offering supplications. to the Montana Veterans population, one of the largest in the country. It also means that what the Democrats say is perhaps the greatest asset of Mr. Tester: his reputation as "real Montanan" who lost three fingers in a meat grinder while he was working on his farm. 1,800-acre land at Big Sandy. 600 inhabitants

On Tuesday, Mr. Tester was plowing peas in a field where he will start planting wheat later this year or in the spring. A third generation farmer, he usually works 12 hours a day at Big Sandy between voting in Washington and traveling in this vast state to meet voters.

A "real Montanan", he says, is someone who "is not a fake, any one who is what they are."

The Republicans argue that no matter how much the incumbent Democrats appeal to their states, Mr. Trump is a stronger asset in some parts of the country like Montana. Trump scored a 20-point margin on Mrs. Clinton in Montana, and Republicans expect Trump to consider Democratic candidates as Mr. Tester as obstructionist

. did not really support the president. "

Debra Lamm

said Mr. Tester. "So, I think the tides turned against him."

Tester voted against legislation pushed by the White House, such as GOP tax law and efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Tester also voted against justice

Neil Gorsuch

appointment to the Supreme Court and helped sink the appointment of Mr. Trump from

Dr. Ronny Jackson

"That shows Republicans who voted for the tester in the last election that it's not really with us," said a GOP member working for the Republican election in November. "Just keep in mind the president's image in a state like Montana."

In the coming months, the tester will face another politically risky vote on Trump's candidate to succeed the Supreme Court of Justice.

Anthony Kennedy.

But this vote also presents a risky choice for the White House because the president is courting the Democratic senators of the states he has won, hoping to lure them into partisan division and get his candidate to the High Court.

When Mr. Trump should visit Mr. Rosendale on stage and portray him as essential to advance the Make America Great Again program that took Trump to the White House.

"It'll be interesting to see what he's talking about," Tester said of the president's upcoming visit. When asked when he was going to watch the speech, the senator replied, "No, damn it," adding that after attending a trade roundtable on Thursday, he would probably busy on his tractor

"I doubt Rosendale could change the oil The Democrats have nicknamed Mr. Rosendale, originally from Baltimore, the nickname" Maryland Matt "in commercials of attacks, an effort to juxtaposing his background with Mr. Tester's roots in the state … Mr. Rosendale said the strategy was a detour as opposed to Mr. Tester's opposition to many cornerstones of the Trump program.

"If people like the agenda presented by the president, then … they're going to be a lot Matt Rosendale sitting in the US Senate rather than Jon Tester," Rosendale said in a statement. interview

On his farm Tuesday, Mr. Tester reflected on his decision to A series announced in April of surprising allegations against Dr. Jackson, the president's candidate at the head of VA who then withdrew consideration. Dr. Jackson denied that he allegedly crushed a government car after drinking alcohol and liberally dispensed prescription drugs, including opioid pain medications and sleep aids

. Test, which was criticized by the White House before Dr. Jackson withdrew, has no regrets.

"Bring it," he says. "I did my constitutional duty on Ronny Jackson."

The White House said that its own review of the documents found no evidence to support two central allegations that sentenced Dr. Jackson's candidacy, and Mr. Trump called on the senator to resign. "The great people of Montana will not tolerate this kind of slander when it speaks of an exceptional human being," tweeted the president during the April showdown.

Tester's allies say that the exposure of the allegations against Dr. Jackson resonates in Montana as putting the state's veterans over Mr. Trump. "I think the key is to always focus on the issues that are most important to your condition."

Senator Doug Jones

(D., Ala.), Who won his seat at a special election in December. Mr. Jones sent fundraising emails on behalf of Mr. Tester, whom Mr. Jones called "one of my favorites" in the Senate.

"I think Jon wanted to make sure that whoever was the next leader of the VA was someone who was qualified and not just there because of a friendship or something else with the president , "said Mr. Jones.

Write to Joshua Jamerson at [email protected]