President Trump was in Billings, Montana, Thursday evening to rally for Matt Rosendale, the Republican challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. This was Mr. Trump’s second visit to the state to support Rosendale, the state auditor.
The rally in Billings capped a difficult week for Mr. Trump, thanks to leaks from administration officials in a new book and in a scathing opinion piece.
Excerpts published in The Washington Post from a book by Post reporter Bob Woodward revealed dysfunction within the administration, including reports that staff members repeatedly insulted the president, and disobeyed or circumvented his directives.
The drama escalated on Wednesday, when The New York Times published an op ed that it says was written by a senior Trump administration official. In this piece, the official claims that there is a “quiet resistance” within the administration composed of a cadre of officials “working diligently” to block Mr. Trump’s “worst inclinations.”
Tester is considered to be one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the Senate, since he represents a state which Mr. Trump carried by more than 20 percentage points in 2016. Rosendale is a vocal supporter of the president. Mr. Trump has tweeted criticism of Tester repeatedly, over the misconduct allegations he leveled at Mr. Trump’s nominee to be Veterans Affairs secretary, Dr. Ronny Jackson. Jackson was ultimately forced to withdraw his nomination.
