Big, burly Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who describes himself as a third-generation dirty farmer from “Big Sandy,” blasted the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) as “a bunch of idiots” on Monday. fair for mocking his red Toyota Prius, which he uses to get around Washington.
Tester vented frustration for HuffPost when asked about Republican attacks on his midsize plug-in hybrid, the model of which has become emblematic of latte-drinking liberals in the minds of some Americans skeptical of electric vehicles.
“I have an 86 Chevy. I have a 2018 GMC. I have a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. I have a Celica. I have a Peterbilt. I have a 1967 International truck. I have a ’96 International truck. I have a ’78 GMC. Do you want me to continue? Tester told HuffPost when asked about Senate Republicans’ efforts to drum up Prius-gate.
“I’m going to spend $10,000 this week on diesel to fill my bulk tanks that I use to plant my crops in the ground. Does this mean everything is fine now? he told a reporter, with a dose of sarcasm.
Montana’s senior senator revealed in a 2020 memoir that he bought the Prius to get around D.C.
Republicans are now trumpeting their choice of car as an indictment.
Tester responded after NRSC communications director Mike Berg posted footage of Tester getting into his Prius on Capitol Hill, as if he were sneaking out of a motel.
“There aren’t many dirty ranchers in Montana who drive a Prius. Jon Tester went to Washington,” said NRSC spokeswoman Maggie Abboud in a statement.
These campaign tactics do not sit well with Tester.
“What a bunch of idiots,” he told HuffPost when asked about an NRSC press statement touting Tester’s use of a Prius as a “bomb.”
Tester is also shaking his head about his Republican opponent, Tim Sheehy, trying to pass himself off as a true Montanan despite having moved to the state about a decade ago — which is like yesterday for Montanans who like to measure their roots in the state for generations.
“I have farm equipment that has been in Montana longer than Tim Sheehy,” Tester played in social platform X earlier this month.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
