Marc Racicot Responds to Montana Republican Party Resolution

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The Montana Republican Party issued a resolution on Monday that due to recent statements and positions taken by former Montana Governor and Attorney General, that ‘Marc Racicot is not considered by the MTGOP to be a Republican; that he cannot claim with any authority to speak on behalf of Montana Republicans; that he does not have the support of the MTGOP.’

KGVO News reached out to Racicot, who now makes his home in Missoula, for his reaction to the resolution and his own feelings and ideals as a Republican.

Racicot said it was opposed to Donald Trump saying 'he was unfit to lead the country'

Racicot said the die was cast when Donald Trump was named the Republican nominee for the Presidency.

“To be honest with you, the re-election of Donald Trump was something that I just could not support because I thought he had been unfit to lead the country; that we were not benefiting from what it was that he was trying to do whatever that was, and as a consequence, I voiced my opposition to his candidacy,” began Racicot. “I know it was an extraordinary moment. It was for me as well.”

The politician in Racicot knew that his stance in opposition to Donald Trump would not be popular here in Montana, where Trump scored impressive victories in 2016 and in 2020.

'Like Being a Lamb Led to the Slaughter' said Racicot

“I knew that I was walking on thin ice when I did not endorse Donald Trump in 2016,” he said. “I knew it again when I did it in 2020. So, it's not like I was a lamb being led to the slaughter. I mean, I had kind of crossed the Rubicon. I had finally in this lifelong journey of trying to understand yourself and the world come to the conclusion that I had to do what I thought was right. And as many times as I could happily intersect with my party position. I was delighted, but there were also going to be moments where I could not.”

Regarding his reaction to the resolution, Racicot said the Montana Republican Party is listing dangerously to the right, and that it may cost them in the future.

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“I mean, I feel sadness that the party mechanism the officials of the party felt that they had to make a different choice,” he said. “I think I understand that. They don't see things the way I do. I don't think they're correct in their extreme political behavior, and nor their positions, and I think they're hurting the party. I think in the long run, they're going to regret being so brutal with their tactics and so aggressive with their accumulation of power.”

As for the MT GOP, Racicot said 'What goes Around Comes Around'

Racicot used the time-tested expression ‘what goes around, comes around’.

“It’s a round world, Peter so what goes around comes around,” he said. “Because of that you have to be prepared to accept what it is that you dish out, and I don't think they're going to be prepared to do that when the time comes, and it will come for making some very, very serious mistakes about proceeding in the fashion, especially with this supermajority in the legislature. If they're going to live for the moment and the exhilaration that comes from the exercise of unabated power, I think they're making a grave mistake.”

Racicot said he still considers himself a 'center-right' Republican.

Racicot has agreed to appear in the KGVO studio on Talk Back for the full 90 minutes to take calls from KGVO listeners.