Trump-Backed Candidate Recorded Using Stereotypes About Native Americans

A Native American news publication recently released audio recordings of Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican endorsed by former President Donald Trump, using stereotypes about Indigenous people.

Char-Koosta News, the official publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation, published recordings on its website last Thursday of Sheehy making racial comments about members of the Crow Reservation last November.

In one of the audio clips from a campaign fundraiser in Shelby on November 6, 2023, Sheehy can be heard saying that his ranching partner and "really good friend" is a member of the Crow Reservation, so he ropes and brands with Crow members.

"Great way to bond with all the Indians, to be out there while they're drunk at 8:00 a.m.," Sheehy then said.

In another clip from a campaign event in Hamilton on November 10, 2023, Sheehy talked about riding a horse in the Crow Fair parade, which is part of an annual gathering on the reservation.

"If you know a tough crowd, you want to go to the Crow res," Sheehy says. "They let you know whether they like you or not—there's Coors Light cans flying by your head riding by."

His campaign did not deny that it was Sheehy heard in the recordings.

"He works with them, he brands with them," Sheehy spokesman Jack O'Brien said to The Associated Press. "What folks are insinuating about him, that's just not who he is."

Char-Koosta News also shared two other recordings, one from an event in Superior and one from an event in Helena, in which Sheehy says if you miss a double-heel shot on the Crow Reservation, then the members will throw Coors Light cans at your head and yell, "Hey, white boy!"

In the clip from Helena, Sheehy can also be heard saying: "But I hopped on my horse, rode right through their parade and said, 'Yeah, I'm here. I'm Republican. And I'm on this reservation telling you I care about your issues.'"

Bryce Kirk, the chairman of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council—which represents 11 tribes and First Nations in the western U.S. and Canada—asked Sheehy to formally apologize for his comments in a letter on Tuesday, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

"You ask for our votes and then you go to your fundraiser, ironically with alcohol flowing and laughter at our expense behind closed doors, and you insult us with a stereotype that only seeks to severely diminish and dishonor our people," Kirk wrote in the letter. "The Crow people are not your punchline. Native Americans are not your punchline."

Sheehy will go up against Democratic Senator Jon Tester, a three-term incumbent, in November. This Senate race is considered crucial for Republicans to take control of the Senate.

In Trump's endorsement of Sheehy, posted on the Truth Social platform in February, the former president lashed out at Tester while calling Sheehy "an American Hero and highly successful businessman."

There are nearly 70,000 Native Americans in Montana, making them an important voting bloc. While this voting bloc tends to lean Democrat, Montana Republicans have tried in recent years to gain their support in elections.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.