KALISPELL, Mont.–President Donald Trump unveiled that the Department of War has chosen Montana to host its new weapons testing site at an undisclosed location.
“Montana will help ensure the American military always reigns supreme,” Trump said during a GOP midterm campaign rally at the Majestic Valley Arena in northwestern Montana on Oct. 14.
“A lot of other people wanted it also.”
He described the new site as a “super range for testing advanced weapons and technologies, including potential autonomous weapons, space and electronic warfare technology, supersonics, and hypersonics.”
The announcement is part of the Trump administration’s agenda to rebuild the national defense base and accelerate innovation with modernization efforts, including the testing of advanced weapons systems and integration of artificial intelligence.
Details of the new project, including timeline, budget, and operational processes, are limited. The Epoch Times has reached out to the War Department for comment.
It is unclear whether the site will be a standalone operation or an expansion of existing defense infrastructure in the Treasure State, including the Montana Spaceport & Test Range and the Limestone Hills Innovation & Test Campus.
The state’s broad spaces and sparse populations make them top candidates for weapons testing.
Trump was in Montana stumping for Republican candidates running in the midterms. More than 7,000 people waited through traffic jams that took hours to resolve as cars made their way into the parking area to see the president speak.
Voters will soon decide which party controls the legislative branch of government.
Key issues for Montanans include the price of energy and the cost of living.
“Fuel prices are the main thing. Everything runs on diesel,” Charles Chandler of Libby, in Lincoln County, told The Epoch Times, noting his desire to see the war with Iran end “one way or the other.”
Others in the crowd agreed, repeatedly listing the price of food and fuel as top-of-mind issues. Several said the new weapons site could bring much-needed economic activity to the region.
One of the races on the national map that is being seen as competitive is taking place in the state’s First Congressional District, where Republican Aaron Flint is battling Democrat Sam Forstag to replace retiring Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.).
“We’re going to elect a true American patriot,” Trump said, backing Flint. “He’s going to Congress to be a warrior.”
Flint, a fifth-generation Montanan, enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 attacks and served in the military for more than 20 years. He criticized his opponent, originally from Portland, Oregon, as a West Coast implant.
“If ever there were a race in the United States of America that was the definition of common sense versus crazy, this is the race,” Flint told voters at the rally.
Forstag, a Forest Service smokejumper, union leader, and former lobbyist, is running on a platform prioritizing healthcare and housing reforms and a campaign finance overhaul, including a promise to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling.
Republican Kurt Alme is vying for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by outgoing Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) He faces Democrat Alani Bankhead and Independent Seth Bodnar, with recent polling showing the conservative with a slight edge over the split field.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte promised to continue his partnership with the Trump administration to support border security, tax cuts, and “unleashing American-made energy by embracing an all-of-the-above strategy, including beautiful, clean Montana coal.”
While some media outlets have shown photos of empty seats at the president’s recent rallies—seats located behind press risers that blocked attendees’ view of the stage—the rodeo arena was standing-room-only, with additional supporters left outside watching on a big screen after the venue reached capacity.
Enthusiastic attendees of all ages, from months-old babies to a 105-year-old local highlighted by speakers, watched the president’s address, and many waved signs and chanted “USA” throughout the rally.
Trump made a similar locally connected military announcement in Youngstown, Ohio, on Oct. 12, when he broke the news about a new submarine component production and repair facility.
The president visited Alaska on Oct. 13 before stopping in Arizona earlier Oct. 14. His rally schedule next takes him to Dalton, Georgia; Highland Height, Kentucky; Wichita, Kansas; and Greenville, North Carolina.
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