President Donald Trump announced a new weapons-testing “Super Range” in Montana for advanced weapons and technologies Wednesday night while also using a campaign rally in the state to defend gun rights and his tariff policies.
“I’m pleased to inform you and announce that right here in Montana, the Department of War is going to establish a new Super Range for testing advanced weapons and technologies,” Trump said at the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell.
The president said technologies tested at the range would include “potential autonomous weapons, space and electronic warfare technology, supersonics and hypersonics.”
“Montana will help ensure the American military always reigns supreme,” Trump said.
Trump was in Kalispell campaigning in support of Republican Aaron Flint, who is facing Democrat Sam Forstag in the race for Montana’s 1st Congressional District, an open seat being vacated by Republican Representative Ryan Zinke.
The president took the stage about 7:30 p.m. local time for his second campaign rally of the day and the third on his Western swing. He campaigned in Arizona earlier Wednesday as part of a series of appearances aimed at boosting Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump Defends Gun Rights
Trump made the Second Amendment a major theme of his Montana remarks, at one point warning that wild animals would benefit if Democrats succeeded in taking away Americans’ guns.
“If the Democrat communists win, they will take away your guns,” Trump told the audience. “You know who would love that to happen? Some of the wild animals you have up here that like eating you. The animals would gain a lot of weight.”
Trump made gun rights an early focus of his remarks, telling the crowd: “If you vote Republican, your cherished Second Amendment shall not be infringed on in any way, shape or form.”
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Trump contrasted National Rifle Association ratings for the Republican and Democratic candidates in Montana’s House and Senate races.
“Every voter here in Montana and all across the nation needs to know that your Second Amendment, which is under siege, is also totally protected with me and my friends over here that are coming with me to Washington,” Trump said.
He added that Flint and Republican Senate candidate Kurt Alme had received top ratings from the NRA, while Democratic Senate candidate Alani Bankhead received an F and House candidate Forstag was given a question mark because, Trump said, he had not completed the group’s questionnaire.
Bankhead is running against Alme and independent Seth Bodnar for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Senator Steve Daines.
Trump later returned to Montana’s outdoor culture, touting moves to expand hunting access on public lands before appearing to poke fun at the specificity of his prepared remarks.
“We expanded hunting authorizations for 160 acres of the Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge. Do you know that refuge? Anybody?” Trump said. “What the hell are we doing? Hey Greg, nobody knows where the hell these places are. What am I doing this for?”
‘Tariffs Cause Wealth’
Trump also delivered an extended defense of tariffs while making his economic pitch to Montana voters.
“Every once in a while, you hear someone say, ‘Tariffs caused inflation.’ We have very little inflation,” Trump said.
“Tariffs don’t cause inflation. They cause wealth,” he added.
Trump argued that his tariff policies had helped protect American sawmills, telling the crowd: “Let’s say I didn’t do those tariffs, every sawmill would be out of business.”
His comments came on the same day that the latest inflation report showed prices rose 3.7 percent from a year earlier and 0.6 percent from August.
Trump also claimed during the rally that he had brought inflation down to 1.7 percent from 19 percent. The latest inflation figures do not support his remark that the annual inflation rate is 1.7 percent.
The president also sought to appeal to farmers and ranchers by touting his tax policies, arguing that changes to estate taxes would make it easier for families to pass farms and ranches on to their children.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Anna Commander and Edward T. Cummins