Democratic congressional candidate Monica Tranel has previously suggested the deadly drug isn't coming from the southern border, but she appears to be changing her stance on the fentanyl crisis this election.
Tranel, the Democratic candidate challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Ryan Zinke in Montana's 1st Congressional District, recently released a campaign ad taking a hard-line stance on the border issue.
But as he first ran for Congress in 2022, Tranel argued during a debate with Zinke at the Missoula City Club that the border crisis has nothing to do with fentanyl trafficking.
“It's a significant issue in our region, but it's not coming from south of the border,” Tranel said of fentanyl during the debate. “It's made in China and it goes through a complex series of steps to get here. Closing the border is not going to alleviate the fentanyl crisis.”
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Democratic candidate Monica Tranel is running for Congress against Rep. Ryan Zinke. (William Campbell)
Shortly after Tranel's remarks at the debate, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that 36 million lethal doses of fentanyl were removed from American communities between May and September 2022, with 35 of those cases directly linked to Mexican drug cartels.
Tranel appears to be shifting his stance on the issue as he plans to run again for the Republican-held seat in 2024.
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“Our border is in grave danger,” Tranel said in a new campaign ad that ran in September on X. “We need to secure our border, hire more Border Patrol agents, and go after the drug cartels to stop the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port Director Michael Humphries displays photos of seized fentanyl, weapons and other illegal drugs during an interview at the Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, on Feb. 28, 2023. (Kitora Kahana)
“This is an election year, so while Tranel is taking a hard line on the border, Montanans know she will be operating directly under the Harris-Waltz banner and supporting boys participating in girls' sports while causing more crime and border chaos for Montanans,” Montana Republican Party spokesperson Madison Atkinson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Border Patrol agents reported seizing enough fentanyl to kill the entire population of the United States in fiscal year 2023 alone.
Asked about his earlier comments about fentanyl, Tranel told Fox News Digital, “We need to secure our border and we need to solve the fentanyl crisis.”
Tranel will face Republican incumbent Rep. Ryan Zinke, who is seeking re-election in Montana's 1st Congressional District. (Al Drago)
“We need to increase the budget for border patrol and go after the drug cartels that are trafficking fentanyl both in China and at the border,” she told Fox. “The border bill would increase funding for detecting and interdicting fentanyl. I support this bill and would have voted for it. It's important to interdict the supply of fentanyl and it's important to stop it coming in at any border. As a member of Congress, I would have voted to get it passed. Senator Ryan Zinke could have voted for the bill, but he didn't, in order to game and campaign instead of solve the problem.”
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“The border is not secure and no one has actually made it better, including Congressman Zinke,” Tranel said. “I will stand up to any Democrat or Republican who gets in my way. While Zinke panders to special interests and China, I'm focused on protecting our communities and stopping the flow of illegal drugs. Keeping Montana safe is bigger than politics.”
