Tim Sheehy, the Republican Senate nominee in Montana whose race could flip the balance of the Senate, was recorded last year making comments about Native Americans that perpetuated racist stereotypes, according to several reports.
Sheehy, a former Navy Seal, made remarks specifically about members of the Crow Tribe of Indians at private fundraisers in 2023. At one event, Sheehy said he had roped cattle with Crow members, calling it “a great way to bond with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8 a.m. and you’re roping together.” At another event, while talking about participating in a parade at the Crow Fair, he said, “They’ll let you know whether they like you or not — there’s Coors Light cans flying by your head.”
His comments were first reported last week by Char-Koosta News, a local outlet that covers the Flathead Indian Reservation. The New York Times also published audio of Sheehy’s comments on Tuesday. According to recordings published by Char-Koosta News, Sheehy repeated his “Coors Light cans” line at two other events, though it’s unclear when those took place.
Sheehy’s remarks were met with anger by the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, which represents a number of tribes and First Nations in North America. Council Chair Bryce Kirk said in a letter to Sheehy on Tuesday that the Republican “insult[ed] us with a stereotype that only seeks to severely diminish and dishonor our people,” according to The Associated Press. “The Crow people are not your punchline. Native Americans are not your punchline,” Kirk added.
Neither MSNBC nor NBC News has verified the recordings. Sheehy’s campaign did not immediately respond to MSNBC’s request for comment on Wednesday, but his spokesperson, Jack O’Brien, did not dispute the veracity of the recordings to The Associated Press.
O’Brien did not say if Sheehy will respond to the council’s letter or apologize for his comments, but he told the AP, “What folks are insinuating about him, that’s just not who he is.”
The reporting comes amid a tight race that has the potential to determine which party controls the Senate next year. Native Americans are an important voting bloc in Montana, and their support will be crucial in November. Although Donald Trump handily won Montana in 2020, counties with majority Native Americans largely backed Democratic candidates. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat seeking his fourth term, last won re-election in 2018 by 3.5% of the vote.
Indigenous voters have said that political candidates don’t often prioritize their communities, but both Sheehy and Tester are hoping tribal support can push them to a narrow victory. Tester, who is widely considered as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat running for re-election, has spent $1 million on tribal-focused voting initiatives.
There are seven federally recognized Native reservations in Montana, and Native Americans make up 6.4% of the state’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Crow Indian Reservation is the largest in the state, and the Crow Tribe endorsed Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election bid. An MSNBC request for comment to Frank White Clay, the Crow Tribe chairman, was not immediately returned.
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