Sen. Jon Tester spoke out for the first time Monday about President Joe Biden’s debate performance, making the Montana senator one of the latest Democrats to weigh in on the feasibility of Biden’s candidacy.
Biden’s performance in the June 27 debate raised questions about the president’s mental acuity and left Democrats panicking. The fallout has prompted some Democrats to call for an end to his candidacy, some to explicitly stand by the president, and others, like Tester, asking that the president do more to demonstrate he’s capable of holding the office.
“President Biden has got to prove to the American people — including me — that he’s up to the job for another four years,” Tester said in a statement to KULR8. “Meanwhile, I’ll continue to do what I’ve always done: Stand up to President Biden when he’s wrong and protect our Montana way of life.”
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U.S. Sen. Jon Tester speaks at the Montana Democrats’ annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena on March 2.
Tester is in a tight reelection battle with Republican challenger Tim Sheehy, a first-time political candidate and former Navy SEAL. Biden’s presidency has been one of the defining messages in the race for Montana’s Senate seat, as Tester is one of only two incumbent Democrats running for reelection in states that Donald Trump won in 2020.
Biden lost to Trump in Montana by roughly 16 points, capturing only 40.5% of the vote.
Victoria Eavis is a reporter for the Montana State News Bureau.
