Ahead of Trump’s Montana Rally, Seth Bodnar Invites Him to Discuss Lowering Costs for Montanans

In a letter to the president, Bodnar outlines areas where they could work together, from standing up for Montana ranchers to increasing affordable housing supply, and calls for an honest conversation about ending the war in Iran

MISSOULA, MT — Ahead of President Donald Trump’s political rally in Kalispell, Montana tomorrow, former Green Beret and Independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar sent the president a letter inviting him to meet during his visit. Bodnar offered to discuss how they could work together to lower costs for Montana families.

In the letter, Bodnar outlined priorities he believes should cross party lines: standing up for Montana ranchers against the big meatpackers, cutting the red tape that blocks new housing, stopping Wall Street investors from buying up starter homes, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and cracking down on the cartels moving fentanyl into Montana communities.

Bodnar was also direct about where he disagrees with the president. He opposes the blanket tariffs on Canada that have cost Montana farmers export markets, letting health care tax credits expire and imposing paperwork rules that could strip coverage from tens of thousands of Montanans, construction of AI data centers, and keeping American troops in a war in Iran that Congress never authorized.

“I’ve invited President Trump to sit down with me while he’s in Montana, because I’ll work with anyone, of any party, if it means lowering costs for Montana families, and that includes the President of the United States,” said Bodnar. “But I’ll also stand up to any President when they make decisions that hurt Montanans. As an Independent, I don’t answer to party bosses in Washington, I answer to Montanans. Montanans are tired of politicians who only talk to their own side, and they’re just as tired of politicians who never stand up to their own party. I’m neither, and I hope the President will take the time to meet with me and other Montanans while he’s in our state.”

The letter stands in sharp contrast with Bodnar’s Republican opponent, Kurt Alme, who was installed on the ballot by party insiders and has pledged to “continue to support our president” on the war in Iran, saying Congress “can’t vote to limit the use of force.”

Bodnar’s full letter is below.

October 13, 2026

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Welcome to Montana. I’m writing to invite you to sit down with me while you’re here on Wednesday.

I’m running for the United States Senate as an Independent. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican, and I don’t answer to either party’s leadership. When I was eighteen, I raised my right hand as a cadet at West Point and swore an oath to the Constitution, not to a political party. I’m a former U.S. Army Green Beret who served in Iraq, and I’ve spent my life working with anyone willing to get the mission done.

That’s how I intend to serve in the Senate. I’ll work with any president, of either party, when it’s good for Montana, and I’ll stand up to any president when it isn’t. I believe that’s what Montanans expect of their senators, and I believe there’s real work we could do together.

Montana families are working harder than ever and falling further behind. Diesel is over $6 a gallon. Our ranchers are rebuilding herds at a 75-year low while four meatpacking companies control 85 percent of the market. Young families can’t afford a home in the towns they grew up in. And health insurance premiums for Montanans who buy their own coverage jumped nearly 30 percent in a single year.

There’s real work we could do together to bring those costs down. I’d welcome the chance to talk with you about standing up for Montana ranchers against the big meatpackers, cutting the red tape that blocks new housing, stopping Wall Street investors from buying up starter homes, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and cracking down on the cartels moving fentanyl into our communities. These aren’t Republican or Democratic ideas. They’re Montana priorities.

I’ll also be honest about where we disagree, because Montanans deserve a senator who tells the truth.

I disagree with the blanket tariffs on Canada, our largest trading partner, that have cost Montana farmers markets they spent decades building. Tariffs should be tools, not toys. I disagree with letting the health care tax credits expire and imposing new paperwork rules that could strip coverage from tens of thousands of Montanans and put our rural hospitals at risk. I disagree with any effort to sell off, transfer, or open up our public lands to the highest bidder. Those lands belong to every Montanan.

And I disagree with keeping American troops in a war in Iran that Congress never authorized. Twenty one service members have been killed, and Montanans are paying for it at the pump and at the fertilizer dealer. As someone who has served in combat, I believe the American people deserve a clear strategy and an exit plan, and Congress has a constitutional duty to weigh in.

Montanans are tired of politicians who only talk to their own side. I’m not one of them. If you are open to discussing how we could work together to best serve the people of Montana, I will come to meet you whenever and wherever your schedule allows.

Respectfully,

Seth Bodnar

Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate, Montana

Seth Bodnar is a Green Beret, business leader, and former president of the University of Montana running for the U.S. Senate to be an independent voice for Montana. Seth is guided by a lifelong commitment to duty, honor, and country. He graduated first in his class at West Point and served multiple overseas deployments, leading soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division and the 1st Special Forces Group, and serving as a special advisor to the commanding general in Iraq. After his military service and a successful career in business, Seth spent the last eight years leading the University of Montana. Under his leadership, the university achieved record high graduation rates, doubled research funding, launched the largest infrastructure renewal in campus history, restored financial stability, and was named the #1 military-friendly university in the country. Raised by two public school teachers, he believes leadership is about service, not party loyalty. Seth and his wife, a fifth-generation Montanan, are raising their three children in Montana.

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