We're a little more than a month away from the filing deadline to run for office in Montana, and the drama surrounding Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale--who may or may not run again to challenge Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester--continues to heat up. Republican strategists and insiders have been sounding the alarm before about Rosendale running for higher office. Now, Alex Bruesewitz, a pro-Trump speaker, has shared that he was canceled from speaking at a Montana GOP event later this month, and the reason why was because of Rosendale.
The Washington Examiner came out with reports on Tuesday and Thursday about the matter, and Bruesewitz spoke to Townhall about what he says happened. He's also appeared on Montana conservative talk shows.
Also on Tuesday, the Montana Freedom Caucus GOP shared a letter from Sunday in which they called on the Montana GOP to disinvite Bruesewitz to be disinvited and for Bruesewitz to apologize to Rosendale for criticizing the congressman. Bruesewitz responded over X.
I’ve called out Matt Rosendale for two things:
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) January 30, 2024
1. Refusing to endorse @realDonaldTrump for over a year. Trump campaigned for him FOUR times in 2018 yet Rosendale couldn’t endorse Trump until he took a 50 point lead in the primary. Very disloyal!
2. For calling for pathway to… https://t.co/V4OCjkAgjS
Bruesewitz was supposed to be the keynote speaker at a Montana GOP event on February 9. In fact, they had posted about it, with Executive Director Danielle Tribble reposting her excitement. She even clapped back at a "two-time failed congressional candidate" with pronouns in his bio for mocking the selection of Bruesewitz.
Looking forward to having @alexbruesewitz join us in MT! 🙌🏻🇺🇸 https://t.co/LAaaU26TaU
— Danielle Tribble (@DanielleTribble) January 25, 2024
But, days later, Bruesewitz was saying that Tribble called him up apologizing, as she told him that he couldn't speak at the event. Tribble "gave me a call and she was almost in tears, saying she was so disappointed that she had to make this phone call, but they've received immense pressure from Matt Rosendale and some of his allies to cancel my speech," Bruesewitz told Townhall.
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When pressed as to why that was, Bruesewitz shared that Tribble "just said that some of these executive committee members, you know, they want to have me out to speak at a different time, but there was just too much pressure from Rosendale and his allies to have me speak, and they were fraudulently and incorrectly claiming that I was being paid by Tim Sheehy," referring to the declared Republican candidate looking to challenge Tester.
Bruesewitz shared he had only met Sheehy once, and that he doesn't do any work with him.
As Bruesewitz discussed the matter further with Townhall, he made clear that he was not going to discuss the primary during his speech, but rather focus on former and potentially future President Donald Trump, who is almost certainly going to be the Republican nominee once more.
"I was very clear. They asked me what my speech was going to be about," Bruesewitz shared, noting it was going to be "about how Montana is Trump country. Why we need Donald Trump back in the in the White House" and "the important role that the Montana GOP plays in taking back our country, and nothing about the primary."
"I would have been very focused on Trump and hammering Jon Tester. But Matt Rosendale and his allies decided to become basically leftists and censor me and cancel me," Bruesewitz continued.
He also further noted to Townhall that "this is just another incident of how Matt Rosendale is a fake MAGA candidate," adding "not only does [Rosendale] support amnesty, he waited a year to endorse President Trump, and now he is joining the ranks of RINOs and leftists and censoring the speech of opposition."
Rosendale had indeed waited until last December to endorse Trump, while Sheehy endorsed Trump in April. Sheehy has also been in the race to challenge Tester since June.
In the days that followed, fellow Trump allies have gotten involved and have posted their support for Bruesewitz.
Shame on Matt Rosendale for getting @alexbruesewitz canceled.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) January 31, 2024
All Alex has criticized Matt for is being disloyal to Trump and for supporting amnesty.
Alex is one of Trump’s top allies.https://t.co/2WmhEv9VuA (https://t.co/2WmhEv9VuA)
It’s really disappointing to see some Republicans in Montana engage in leftwing cancel culture. It’s even more disappointing that they would target one of my father’s strongest and most loyal supporters - @alexbruesewitz. https://t.co/MMFlwFCcwj
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 31, 2024
I am VERY disappointed with @MTGOP canceling @alexbruesewitz speaking engagement! I suggest you reconsider ASAP! #TRUMP2024ToSaveAmerica
— LeoTerrell (@TheLeoTerrell) January 31, 2024
Very disappointed to hear that @MTGOP canceled @alexbruesewitz 's speech at the Montana GOP convention.
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) January 31, 2024
In order to defeat Joe Biden, the Republican Party must unify – not fight amongst ourselves. https://t.co/HS6EAETmiK
Not cool that Rosendale got Alex canceled. @MTGOP should reverse course and have one of Trump’s top allies speak at the convention!
— Jim Banks (@Jim_Banks) January 30, 2024
Montana GOP nixes pro-Trump convention speaker over Rosendale criticism - Washington Examiner https://t.co/AOzMkycA6I
Thank you @RogerJStoneJr. I’m disgusted by the cancel culture tactics being used by Matt Rosendale (@MattForMontana) and his allies.
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) January 30, 2024
Matt had ample opportunities to endorse @realDonaldTrump but waited until the last second. He showed no loyalty even though he used Trump to get… https://t.co/fB5WlSznRH
I agree with @PaulIngrassia that Montana should hear from @alexbruesewitz.
— Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) January 30, 2024
Our way is to believe in First Amendment engagement. https://t.co/zJ939aSBkC
A pro-Trump Republican strategist also told Townhall that "Matt Rosendale and his allies showed their true colors when they canceled pro-Trump speaker Alex Bruesewitz. Whether it was waiting until Trump was up 50 to endorse, or canceling his surrogates, it’s clear Montanans can’t trust Matt Rosendale."
Both the Montana GOP and Rosendale's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Townhall. The Examiner included a response from the congressman, however:
Rosendale has denied lobbying against Bruesewitz’s speech. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t even know who this guy Alan is,” he told the Washington Examiner on Monday. “I’ve had my hands full with productive work.”
If Rosendale decides not to run in the primary to try to unseat Tester yet again, he's still got time in the House, especially as he's still in his first term. In one of his more polite comments about Rosendale, National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines told CNN last December that "I like Matt Rosendale. I hope he stays in the House and builds seniority." Daines, who is also from Montana, has already endorsed Sheehy.
A Republican strategist who works on Senate races shared several concerns with Townhall last month, from an interest in Democrats like Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) being interested in Rosendale running, to the congressman's lack of fundraising ability.
That means if Rosendale does run, this could make for quite the ugly primary race and a potentially difficult general election for the NRSC. Montana is considered a top Senate race, if not the top race for 2024, especially with West Virginia's Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin retiring. When it comes to the vulnerable seats that Democrats are defending, 2024 is looking to be a particularly favorable year for Senate Republicans, especially in comparison to 2022.
We've also already seen a Tester-Rosendale matchup before, from 2018. Rosendale lost to Tester in that race by 3.5 points. Trump won the state in 2016 by 20.5 points and in 2020 by 16.4 points. Daines also won reelection in 2020 by 10 points.
Forecasters currently rank this race as a "Toss-Up."
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