President Donald Trump revealed plans for a new weapons-testing facility, dubbed the ‘Super Range,’ in Montana. During a rally on Wednesday night, he detailed the project’s focus on advanced weapons and technologies.
Speaking at the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell, Trump stated that the Department of War will establish the test range. “Montana will help ensure the American military always reigns supreme,” he declared, emphasizing the role of technologies like autonomous weapons, space and electronic warfare tech, supersonics, and hypersonics.
Trump’s visit to Montana was part of a campaign effort for Republican Aaron Flint, competing against Democrat Sam Forstag in the race for Montana’s 1st Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Ryan Zinke, a Republican not seeking re-election. This rally was the third of his Western campaign tour, following an event in Arizona.
Trump Defends Gun Rights
Gun rights were a major theme of Trump’s speech. He warned that a Democratic victory could lead to gun restrictions, humorously suggesting that wild animals would benefit if Americans lost access to firearms. “If the Democrat communists win, they will take away your guns,” Trump asserted.
He reassured the audience that voting Republican would protect their Second Amendment rights. Comparing NRA ratings, Trump noted that Flint and Senate candidate Kurt Alme received high ratings, while Democrat candidates received lower evaluations or left questionnaires incomplete.
‘Tariffs Cause Wealth’
In his address, Trump also defended tariff policies. He dismissed claims that tariffs cause inflation, arguing instead they generate wealth, notably protecting American industries like sawmills.
“Every once in a while, you hear someone say, ‘Tariffs caused inflation.’ We have very little inflation,” Trump said, despite an inflation report showing a 3.7% rise in prices from the previous year. He also inaccurately claimed to have reduced inflation to 1.7% from 19%.
To appeal to rural voters, Trump highlighted tax policy changes he said would facilitate passing family farms and ranches to future generations.
This article was developed with contributions from Newsweek’s AI assistant, Martyn.