Montana GOP Senate candidate says remarks about Native Americans were ‘insensitive,’ rejects call to apologize

Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy acknowledged during a debate Monday that mocking comments he made in 2023 about Native Americans were “insensitive” but he refused to apologize, explaining that his remarks were a reflection of military culture.

“Yeah, insensitive,” Sheehy conceded when pressed by his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Jon Tester.

“I come from the military, as many of our tribal members do. You know, we make insensitive jokes and probably off-color jokes sometimes,” he said.

Char-Koosta News reported in August that Sheehy joked at a 2023 fundraiser about Crow Tribe members being drunk at 8 a.m.

The Republican candidate told supporters at the event that he ropes and brands cattle with Crow members, because it’s “a great way to bond with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8 a.m.”

Tester demanded Sheehy apologize for those comments during Monday’s debate.

“Tim, the statement you made degrades Native Americans across this country,” he said. “You’re a big guy, just apologize.”

Sheehy responded by demanding whether Tester would apologize for the millions of migrants that came across the U.S.-Mexico border during President Biden’s four years in office.

The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, which represents 11 tribes in the United States and Canada, asked Sheehy to apologize for his comments last month.

“The Crow people are not your punchline. Native Americans are not your punchline,” Bryce Kirk, the group’s chair, wrote in a letter to Sheehy.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.