Gianforte goes from wary Trump backer to all-in

HELENA (AP) — When Donald Trump visited to Montana last year ahead of the state’s Republican presidential primary, technology entrepreneur Greg Gianforte was running on the GOP ticket for governor and made it a point to avoid his party’s likely presidential nominee. Gianforte later reluctantly pledged support for Trump, but tried to distance himself from him during an unsuccessful campaign to unseat the state’s Democratic governor.

Now, the multimillionaire technology entrepreneur is trying to win an open seat in Congress and has gone all in on Trump.

Gianforte has co-opted the president’s “drain the swamp” catchphrase, pledged to advance Trump’s agenda and brought in Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr. for campaign rallies ahead of Thursday’s special election against Democrat Rob Quist. They’re vying to replace Ryan Zinke, who became Trump’s Interior Secretary in March.

Gianforte’s shift from a hesitant backer of the reality show star’s presidential bid to a candidate whose success or failure largely hinges on the president mirrors that of the Republican party.

“In the fall, it was just surviving the next 100 days and then he’ll never be heard from again,” GOP strategist Liam Donovan said of his party’s gradual embrace of Trump. “Now, whatever Republicans felt about this guy before, he’s a winner.”

In an interview Wednesday, Gianforte said he isn’t second-guessing his alliance with the president.

“I will always be on Montana’s side and much more closely aligned with this administration than with (Democratic House Minority Leader) Nancy Pelosi,” he said.

That could be risky for Gianforte and other Republicans who try to play the Trump card and then find themselves caught up in turmoil the president generates.

Trump’s intense and loyal supporters may not flinch at the reports, said University of Montana political scientist Rob Saldin.

However, Gianforte’s success may depend on how many of the Montana voters who gave Trump a 20 percentage point win over Hillary Clinton in Montana are in that loyalist bloc.

“There’s a bit of a playing-with-fire element to this,” Saldin said. “I think Gianforte and many Republicans recognize that, but it’s a trade-off that at least for right now they’re willing to accept.”

Jake Eaton, a Montana Republican political consultant, said he recognizes the risk but said Gianforte is embracing Trump’s message, not the person.

“I think that a lot of people across the political spectrum, regardless of what they think of the president as a person, are responding to what he’s trying to do,” Eaton said.

Five months ago, when Gianforte lost to incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, he tried to keep Trump from becoming an issue in his own campaign.

Before the Republican primary, Gianforte declined to attend Trump’s one rally in Montana.

Now Gianforte is an ebullient booster of the president.

Washington D.C.-based Republican pollster Frank Luntz said Montana voters are generally conservative but like straight-talking mavericks like Trump and have previously embraced Democrats willing to buck conventional wisdom.

Democrats were always going to link Trump to Gianforte anyway, Luntz argued, and it makes sense for the candidate to make the comparison on his own terms.

“Montana is true Trump country,” Luntz said. “I’m not surprised this guy would embrace Trump.”