DEMS/ELECTION/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VA: “U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s campaign increased its spending after President Donald Trump vowed in April to make the Montana Democrat pay politically for sinking his nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. Tester’s campaign spent about $790,000 on television and internet advertising in the two weeks following Trump’s comments, according to recently released campaign finance reports. In the three weeks before Trump targeted Tester, it spent about $440,000 on ads. Tester spokesman Chris Meagher said Tuesday [5-29-18] that Trump’s comments had nothing to do with the spending and the campaign simply started buying two weeks’ worth of ads at a time instead of one…The campaign finance reports covering a 1 ½-month period ending May 16 show that Tester’s campaign spent about $400,000 more than it did in the previous three months. It marked the first time in this election cycle that spending has outpaced fundraising for Tester. The spending increase reduced the cash Tester has available from $6.8 million at the beginning of April to $6.3 million as of mid-May. Tester is one of 10 Democratic senators running for re-election in states won by Trump in 2016.”
-AP Staff, “Montana Senator Boosts Spending After Trump Targets Campaign,” The New York Times online, May 29, 2018