Amid questions surrounding his claim that he was shot in war, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy acknowledged that no records exist to substantiate his account of the gunshot wound.
“We don’t have extensive medical records for anything like this,” the Montana candidate and former Navy SEAL told conservative radio host Megyn Kelly in a recent interview.
Sheehy claims he was shot in the arm while fighting in Afghanistan, and to question that explanation is tantamount to a false charge of stealing courage.
But a former ranger at Glacier National Park in Montana’s Rocky Mountains has publicly told how Sheehy shot himself at the park in 2015 before going to the hospital for emergency treatment. As The Washington Post previously reported, rangers later fined Sheehy $525 for illegally discharging a firearm in a national park, according to government records.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Sheehy accused the ranger, a registered Democrat named Kim Peach, of trying to spread a “defamatory story.” Sheehy himself has tried to play off Peach’s interpretation, saying he never was shot that day in 2015.
As he reiterated to Kelly, Mr. Sheehy said he fell while hiking and the gun went off. The only reason he went to the hospital was because he was worried that the bullet that was already lodged in his arm might have come loose during his tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Yet, as Sheehy said in an interview with Kerry, he refused to report being hit by friendly fire in Afghanistan because he did not want his fellow service members to be investigated for relatively minor injuries. He also claims that it is because of his body.
Kelly urged Sheehy to address whether there were any medical records that supported his version of events. But Mr. Sheehy eventually admitted that he had no such record.
“Not at all. I mean, that’s the point,” Sheehy told Kelly. “You go and check it out and walk away. There are no extensive medical records on this matter.”
Kelly responded, “That’s very confusing,” and then she bluntly asked Sheehy if he had ever shot himself in the arm.
“No, I never had that suspicion,” Sheehy said. “So, the point is, it was a downrange ricochet of friendly fire that was not reported at the time.”
Sheehy’s military colleagues say they do not recall him ever mentioning or seeing any gunshot wounds during his time on active duty.
Sheehy’s conversation with Kelly comes at the end of his effort to unseat Democratic incumbent Jon Tester in a race that will determine whether Republicans can wrest control of the Senate from their opponents after Tuesday’s presidential election. It was held on. Mr. Sheehy led the race by nearly 5 percentage points as of Monday, according to 22 polls cited by Hill & Decision Desk Headquarters.
Sheehy has built a projected lead despite a lot of controversy, along with uncertainty regarding his gunshot wound.
Please sign up for The Stakes — US Election Edition
The Guardian guides you through the turmoil of a presidential election with huge consequences.
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may include information about charities, online advertising, and content sponsored by external parties. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and are subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
After newsletter promotion
He drew criticism for allegedly characterizing Crow Native Americans as “drunken Indians.”
His former aviation firefighting company also came under scrutiny after it raised $160 million in bonds, ostensibly to hire workers and build two new aircraft hangars. However, as NBC News reported, the company spent most of the funds repaying a previous investment from New York-based company Blackstone.
NBC News also reported in October that Sheehy’s discharge papers were inconsistent with his 2023 memoir, “The Mudslingers.”
The book echoes some of his comments against Kelly, arguing that medical reasons prompted Sheehy’s discharge. However, as NBC News pointed out, the document itself states that Sheehy voluntarily resigned from the military without listing any medical conditions as a reason.
Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage:
