Sen. Jon Tester prevails despite battering by Trump

BILLINGS, Mont. — Only U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana survived President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign to topple Democratic senators from Republican-leaning states who voted against his Supreme Court picks.

The president and his surrogates returned repeatedly to Montana, North Dakota, Missouri and Indiana this election season, pounding on Tester and other incumbent Democrats who opposed the nominations of Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

Conservative groups followed the White House’s lead by pouring tens of millions of dollars into ad campaigns against the Democratic senators. Tester earned particular ire for his central role in derailing Trump’s pick for Veteran Affairs secretary, Ronny Jackson, by airing misconduct allegations against the White House doctor.