Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) has aroused controversy in his Republican Party by hoping for a slim majority in the House.
Rosendale made the admission to a group at a private virtual meeting in 2022 with some 50 conservative donors. Video from the meeting was recently uncovered by Fox News Digital. The Montana representative won his election that year after a failed attempt at a Senate seat back in 2018 but is giving it another try in 2024.
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“When a lot of people, unfortunately, were voting, to have a 270, 280 Republican House, I was praying each evening for a small majority, because I recognize that that small majority was the only way that we were going to advance a conservative agenda,” Rosendale said. “If it was the right majority, that if we had six or seven very strong individuals, we would drag the conference over to the right.”
Since its release, others in the GOP have issued their responses. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) was first to address the comments on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Maryland Matt Rosendale prays for Democrats to win elections? Did God answer his prayers in 2018 when Jon Tester humiliated him?” Cotton said, referring to the current Montana senator. “This is just one of many, many reasons that Maryland Matt won’t come within a country mile of the Senate.”
Maryland Matt Rosendale prays for Democrats to win elections? Did God answer his prayers in 2018 when Jon Tester humiliated him?
This is just one of many, many reasons that Maryland Matt won’t come within a country mile of the Senate. https://t.co/3JNnSyD2Na
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) October 4, 2023
Then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) would go on to reference Cotton’s post about the comments during a press conference earlier this week.
“When you have members like that, that are part of your team,” McCarthy said of Rosendale, “you got a tough team.”
Still, others appreciated his candid comments and continued to support the representative in his political efforts.
“Tell me The Swamp hates [Rosendale] without saying it,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) wrote. “This is one of many reasons why I support [Rosendale] in Montana’s 2024 U.S. Senate race.”
“They hate him cause they don’t own him!” Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) said of Rosendale.
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Crane notably did not vote to vacate McCarthy from the speakership in the historic election. Rosendale voted to oust the speaker less than 10 months after he was elected, which is the shortest term in over a century. McCarthy followed Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who served for just shy of eight years.
Rosendale is facing off in the Republican primary for Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-MT) seat against two others, Thomas Madigan and Tim Sheehy. The Montana representative won the Republican primary in 2018.
