Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called fellow conservative Rep. Matt Rosendale a “grifter” and endorsed his likely opponent in the 2024 Montana Senate GOP primary, aerospace millionaire Tim Sheehy.
Ms. Greene, Georgia Republican, blasted her colleague on X after GOP political operative Caroline Wren jabbed the lawmaker for endorsing Mr. Sheehy.
“Matt Rosendale cannot be trusted,” Ms. Greene said. “He turned his back on [former President Donald] Trump and only endorsed him recently because Rosendale is planning to run for Senate AGAIN after already losing last time in the Senate race against Jon Tester.”
She continued, “I have the same conservative voting record as Matt Rosendale, but he’s a grifter. He’s not loyal to the people who have supported him like Trump.”
Ms. Greene also noted that Mr. Rosendale accepted campaign contributions from former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2022 yet turned on him amid last year’s coup.
The Washington Times reached out for comment on Ms. Greene’s accusations.
Mr. Rosendale hasn’t formally announced he’s in the Montana Senate race, one of a handful of contests that Republicans are banking on flipping to regain control of the upper chamber.
Many Republicans believe Mr. Sheehy has the best shot at unseating Mr. Tester, a Democrat, and have lined up to endorse him since he announced his candidacy in June.
Aside from Ms. Greene, conservatives fear that Mr. Rosendale, who lost a close race to Mr. Tester in 2018, could sully their chances of gaining the crucial seat.
A Senate bid by Mr. Rosendale would bump up against the wishes of Montana’s other senator, Steve Daines, who chairs the GOP’s Senate campaign arm and selected Mr. Sheehy to run against Mr. Tester.
Mr. Rosendale recently recalled a conversation with Mr. Daines in 2022 on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” show, where he told the senator he would win the primary and beat Mr. Tester.
The lawmaker is on the campaign trail in Montana with Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, possibly seeking support for a Senate bid.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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