I had a diary up the other day about Republican Senate candidate for Montana Tim Sheehy making racist comments about the Crow Nation: Montana Senate Candidate Tim Sheehy (R) Says Crow Indians are "drunk at 8:00 A.M." [Edited; see *]. It got a lot of attention here (thanks!), but the MSM hadn’t noticed. Now they are starting to.
NYT: Tim Sheehy Was Recorded Using Racist Stereotypes About Native Americans
(Unlike the original story published by a small reservation paper, the Times doesn’t seem concerned about a defamation suit.)
By making these remarks, Mr. Sheehy not only used stereotypes, but he also waded into the complex history of Native American tribal dynamics in Montana, where Indigenous residents make up about 6 percent of the population. The state has seven reservations and 12 tribes.
A couple of other media (though not WaPo yet) picked up the story, but the most significant part is that statewide Montana media are catching up with it.
Daily Montanan: Audio catches Senate candidate Sheehy commenting on ‘drunk Indians’
U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is facing criticism after two recordings from November surfaced in which he appears to have characterized the Crow people as drunk in the morning and accused them of throwing beer cans at him in a parade. . . .
Sheehy appears to have doubled down on the statements as the first recording was from a Nov. 6, 2023 event in Shelby. Four days later, Sheehy appears to have made similar remarks at an event in Hamilton. The recordings appear on the website of Char-Koosta News.
It’s still early days, but it does seem this story is not going away. And Sheehy isn’t helping himself by “doubling down.” (For some reason, Jon Tester’s campaign website isn’t carrying the story yet, though they have an attack on a different Sheehy gaffe on their front page: Tim Sheehy Pressed by Fox News Radio for Lying About Bipartisan Border Bill.)
Following the campaign rule that “when your opponent is sinking, toss him an anvil,” let’s keep the pressure up!
(Several comments pointed out that Sheehy didn’t commit a “gaffe” — he uttered a slur. At first, I wasn’t going to change the title, but after thinking it over, I did.)
----------------— Update 1300 PT -----------------------—
In the several hours since I first posted this, more media have picked up the story (I wish I could take credit, but . . . nah.):
AP: Trump-backed US Senate candidate faces scrutiny for derogatory comments about Native Americans
New Haven (CT) Register is carrying the AP story. So is the Washington Post (finally).
New York Magazine: Montana GOP Candidate Said Native Americans Are ‘Drunk at 8 A.M.’
The Guardian (Yes, it’s UK, but a lot of Americans read it): Trump-backed Senate candidate caught on tape disparaging Native Americans
ABC: Trump-backed US Senate candidate faces scrutiny for derogatory comments about Native Americans
Democracy Now is hitting Sheehy on the mess he’s made: Montana GOP Senate Candidate Tim Sheehy Recorded Making Racist Comments
Several of the articles report that tribal leaders are now demanding an apology from Sheehy. The Flathead Beacon, a Montana paper, puts it front and center: Tribal Leaders Push for Apology Following Racially Charged Comments by Sheehy:
In a Tuesday letter to Sheehy, Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Chairman Bryce Kirk urged Sheehy to issue a formal apology and said that if meaningful action is not taken by the candidate, his comments “will become an inexcusable setback in trust-building and forward progress.”
“We find your recorded remarks to be a betrayal of the good faith of Montana’s Native Americans. You come into our homes, and you ask for our votes and then you go to your fundraiser … and you insult us with a stereotype that only seeks to severely diminish and dishonor our people,” the letter stated.
The Beacon also reports that Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, “condemn[s] Sheehy’s comments in the strongest possible terms.” Strangely, there is still nothing on Tester’s campaign website. Maybe he figures he doesn’t need to say anything, or he’s waiting for Sheehy to dig himself in further.
