Trump praises Montana Senator Tim Sheehy as “a winner”

Trump the president's brief endorsement lands as Sheehy nears the end of his first year in the Senate after unseating three-term Democrat Jon Tester in 2024.

First Published: July 17, 2026, 6:35 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump praised Tim Sheehy, the junior Republican senator from Montana, in a post on Truth Social on July 17, 2026 at 10:18 PM ET.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Tim Sheehy is GREAT. A Winner!!! President DJT”

The endorsement carries weight for Sheehy, who at 40 ranks as the youngest Republican in the chamber and the second-youngest senator overall. Sheehy defeated three-term Democratic incumbent Jon Tester in 2024, a result that helped Republicans reclaim control of the Senate. He was sworn in on January 3, 2025, and now serves alongside fellow Montana Republican Steve Daines.

Before politics, Sheehy served as a U.S. Navy SEAL and completed tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, South America and the Pacific region. He earned a Bronze Star with valor and a Purple Heart. In 2014 he founded Bridger Aerospace, an aerial firefighting company based in Belgrade, Montana, that has flown missions across 24 states and two Canadian provinces.

Trump’s brief praise offers a boost to a senator who has drawn scrutiny over his military record. Sheehy told The Washington Post he made up a story about a firearm discharging in Glacier National Park to shield former platoonmates from a potential investigation into a bullet wound he said he received in Afghanistan in 2012. An NBC News review of his discharge paperwork in October 2024 found he voluntarily resigned his commission, which contradicted earlier statements that he left through a medical discharge.

For the average Montana voter, the endorsement signals continued alignment between the state’s junior senator and the president heading into a contested legislative season. Sheehy is set to become Montana’s senior senator when Daines leaves office in 2027.

Has this happened before? It has. Trump regularly issues short bursts of praise for allied Republicans, and this post follows that pattern. In the last 30 days, 20 of 498 Trump posts fell under the topic “Personal Praise, Greetings & Tributes,” according to a Zenger analysis of Truth Social activity.

The next test for Sheehy will come through his Senate votes and committee work in the coming months. No specific date tied to this endorsement has been announced.

Tim Sheehy is not the first outsider businessman to turn a wartime reputation into a Montana political career. Ryan Zinke, a fellow former Navy SEAL, pinned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart on Sheehy in 2015. Zinke rode his own military profile to a House seat and later a cabinet post as Interior secretary before resigning in 2019 amid ethics inquiries. The path from combat service to Montana office has repeatedly rewarded veterans, and Sheehy’s 2024 victory extended that tradition into the Senate.