A capacity, exuberant crowd turned out to see President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Thursday in Great Falls where he lauded the state’s Republican candidates, lashed out at the media and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and touted his border security and economic policies while promising to “make America even better.”
Some 6,500 people crammed into Four Seasons Arena to hear the 45th president speak in support of Montana Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
Many in the sea of Trump supporters wore red ball caps advertising “Make America Great Again” on the fronts and waved miniature flags and Trump-Pence signs.
Trump began his speech at 4:26 p.m. and concluded at 5:38.
A receptive crowd stood and cheered at times as the president jumped from topics ranging from immigration to Russian President Vladimir Putin to the controversy over NFL players refusing to stand during the national anthem to issues that hit more closely to home such as public lands and the military.
He blasted the “dishonest media” and called Tester, D-Mont., who is in the midst of a highly contested campaign, two-faced.
“It’s time to retire liberal Democrat Jon Tester,” Trump said to cheers.
Tester, he said, says one thing in Montana and does the opposite in Washington, which garnered boos for the Big Sandy farmer.
The president criticized Tester over several of his votes including voting not to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.”
“A vote for Jon Tester is vote for Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and the new leader of the Democratic party, Maxine Waters,” Trump said.
He criticized Tester for publicly airing unproven allegations that Navy admiral and doctor and presidential physician Ronny L. Jackson drank on the job, improperly prescribed and dispensed medications and created a “toxic” work environment. The Navy rear admiral later withdrew his bid to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Trump said the attacks were “dishonest” and “could have ruined a lesser man” and that he felt guilty for getting Jackson into politics.
“But Jon Tester said things about him that were horrible and that weren’t true. And that’s probably why I’m here because I won Montana by so many points I don’t have to come here,” Trump said.
He also criticized Tester for voting against the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch’s nomination for the Supreme Court. Trump said he would have an announcement Monday on a replacement for Anthony Kennedy, who is stepping down from the court.[…]
Trump, seeing the capacity crowd, immediately joked that he had asked “my people” why they had not arranged for a larger arena. He apologized to the few thousand people outside who were unable to get inside.
He praised Daines, who he said had been helpful with tax cuts, and noted that both would be running for election again in 2020.
“So we’re running together Steve,” he said.
Trump, wearing a black suit and red tie, gained steam as the speech continued, his voice rising as he spoke of protecting the country’s borders and supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
“We believe in coming into this country legally,” said Trump, who pledged to build a wall along the border with Mexico.