Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Monday blasted national Republicans for mocking the car he drives around Washington: a red Toyota Prius.
“What a bunch of losers,” Tester said in response to a press release from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which called Tester’s choice of vehicle a “bombshell.”
Tester purchased the Prius in 2020 and regularly uses it to get to and from the U.S. Capitol for Senate votes. However, it is not the only vehicle he owns.
“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 ’67 International truck. I have a ’96 International truck. I have a ’78 GMC. Do you want me to continue?” Tester told HuffPost on Monday.
“I’m going to spend $10,000 this week filling my bulk tanks with diesel that I use to plant my crop in the ground. Does that make it okay now?” he added sarcastically.
Tester is a third-generation Montana farmer and one of Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbents this election cycle. Republicans hope to prevent him from winning a fourth term in a Republican state by emphasizing his ties to Democrats and President Joe Biden’s administration.
The red-state Democrat has tried to put distance between himself and Biden’s environmental agenda. For example, Tester voted to roll back the government’s electric vehicle mandate for passenger cars and trucks, which aims to phase out two-thirds of new gas-powered cars by 2032. That Republican Party-led effort did not generate the 60 votes needed to pass. the Senate.
Tester will face Republican Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and wealthy businessman, in November.
