EXCLUSIVE: Senate GOP Campaign Arm Launches Ad Accusing Vulnerable Dem Senator Of Being ‘Two-Faced’ On Immigration

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released an ad on Tuesday slamming Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana over his record on illegal immigration.

Tester, who has been representing the red state since 2007, will likely face former Navy SEAL and Trump-backed Republican Tim Sheehy in the November general election. The Senate GOP’s campaign arm is accusing Tester of supporting amnesty, while criticizing the senator for saying President Joe Biden has “helped” secure the border as well as opposing the construction of a barrier, in the video exclusively obtained by the DCNF.

“Two-Faced Jon Tester is talking tough on the border now that it’s an election year, but Montanans won’t forget Tester’s long record of backing disastrous open-borders policies that caused the current crisis,” Maggie Abboud, spokeswoman for the NRSC, told the DCNF in a statement. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House GOP Campaign Arm Launches New Ad Targeting Dems For ‘Biden Border Crisis’)

Tester has recently called for tougher provisions to crack down on illegal immigration, and announced his support for advancing the Senate’s border security legislation that was swiftly defeated by conservative opponents for not being restrictive enough.

WATCH:

Illegal immigration has surged under the Biden administration, prompting the Republican-led House to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Feb. 13 over his handling of the southern border.

“The big issue here is we need to make sure the southern border is secure, and I think the president has helped do that,” Tester can be heard saying in the NRSC’s ad.

Biden’s poll numbers on his handling of the border crisis continue to lag. A Gallup survey released on Wednesday found immigration being the leading reason as to why the president’s detractors disapprove of his job performance.

The ad shows a clip of Tester saying “Congress needs to step up and pass a long pathway to citizenship.” An older video of the senator followed, where he said he doesn’t support “building a fence or a wall or anything like that.”

“Jon Tester talks tough on the border, but what’s his real record?” the ad said. “Tell two face Tester — secure the border now.”

Tester’s seat is considered a “Toss Up” for 2024 by The Cook Political Report, along with the races for Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

A NonStop Local/SurveyUSA poll released on Thursday found the senator leading Sheehy, who was recruited by the NRSC, 49% to 40% for a general election matchup. The survey also found Tester winning by the same margin against GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale, who briefly ran for the seat.

Rosendale launched his long-awaited Senate campaign on Feb. 9 only to drop out of the race on Thursday after Trump threw his support behind Sheehy in the primary.

Tester’s campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

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