Trump's plane was diverted in Montana due to a technical glitch

Donald Trump had to make an unplanned stop in Billings, Montana due to a technical malfunction on his plane. It occurred Friday afternoon, when he was heading to the Treasure State for a campaign rally, in which he was also seeking to boost Tim Sheehy. Trump had to be transferred to a private jet in order to later arrive at his intended destination.

The former president was heading to the city of Bozeman, when he had to be diverted to Billings, located 143 miles (229 km) further east. The Republican campaign released a video of the landing in Montana, although it made no mention of the rerouting because of a mechanical malfunction.

Due to the strong Republican leaning in the state, at least in presidential elections, the main reason for Trump's visit was to boost the candidacy of Sheehy, who aspires to be the candidate who finally ousts Jon Tester.

What do the polls say in Montana?

Emerson College recently released a poll conducted in the Treasure State, particularly on the presidential and Senate races.

According to the results, Trump would prevail over Harris by 55% to 40%. "Since the March 2024 Emerson poll in Montana, support for Trump has dropped one point, while Harris has improved five points over Biden's 35%," Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, noted.

"Harris has picked up ground among women voters — 47% support Harris compared to 40% who supported Biden, while Trump maintains around 61% support among male voters. Voters with college degrees have also flipped; in March, they broke for Trump by seven points, now breaking for Harris by seven," he added.

As for the upper house races, Sheehy would get his way and defeat Tester by two percentage points, 48% to 46%.

"The share of undecided voters has decreased from 14% to 5% as November draws closer, and Sheehy has benefited with a six-point increase in support, while Tester’s support has only increased by two points," Kimball explained.

The Senate map for 2024 is visibly unfavorable for Democrats, who currently control the upper chamber 51-49. With only two remotely competitive seats to try to flip, Florida and Texas, they will have to defend at least seven vulnerable seats: West Virginia, Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Montana, Wisconsin and Nevada. In turn, Larry Hogan in Maryland could be a headache for Democratic leadership, given that his presence will demand extra funds that were previously earmarked for other races.