Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) had high political aspirations. Then, suddenly, he had none.
In the span of a month, the hard-right MAGA conservative launched a repeat Senate campaign, promptly ended it, filed for reelection in the House, and then on Friday dropped that bid, citing death threats to his family and “defamatory rumors” about an alleged affair with a member of his staff.
In a statement Friday, Rosendale said he’s “been forced to have law enforcement visit my children because of a death threat against me and false and defamatory rumors against me and my family.”
“This has taken a serious toll on me, and my family,” he went on. “Additionally, it has caused a serious disruption to the election of the next Representative for MT-02.”
Rosendale’s political nosedive was as quick as it was messy.
On Feb. 9, after months of speculation, Rosendale launched a second bid to try to oust Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November, vowing to take on the “Washington establishment” and emphasizing his loyalty to former President Donald Trump. Hours later, however, Trump endorsed Rosendale’s primary opponent Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and wealthy businessman, in the race.
That blow came on the heels of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) backpedaling on his planned endorsement of Rosendale, reportedly after he received blowback from high-profile Republicans who have rallied around Sheehy.
Six days after mounting his Senate campaign, Rosendale shut it down and blamed Trump.
“By my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep,” he said in a statement at the time, adding that he would be taking time with his family to consider next steps.
Trump endorsed Rosendale in 2018 when he ran for Senate, and again in 2022 when he was reelected to the House. But in a post to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said Sheehy was best positioned to defeat Tester in November.
“I also respect…
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