The president’s eldest son weighed in on Montana’s U.S. Senate race with a Townhall column Wednesday criticizing incumbent Democrat Jon Tester as a “phony” on the issue of gun rights.

Donald Trump Jr. wrote that “real Montanans caught on to the truth quickly” after receiving what he described as a deceptive ad from Tester’s campaign.

“Lying, misleading, deceiving, obfuscating… it’s what politicians do best around election time,” he wrote. “But if there’s one thing I know people across the heartland hate, it’s a phony.”

In the mailer he described, which was obtained by Fox News, Tester is pictured “on a farm with a gun in his hand,” Trump said, despite records indicating the senator does not have an active hunting license.

“According to the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks records, the last time Jon Tester was legally allowed to hunt was the last time he was up for reelection,” he wrote.

TRENDING: Kentucky AG Exposes 4 Lies the Left Sold About Breonna Taylor's Death

Trump said he does not believe the timing is coincidental, going on to paint a picture of a moderate Democrat corrupted by D.C. liberals.

“Tester has changed his tune dramatically over the years that he’s been in Congress,” Trump wrote. “He left behind his Montana values many years ago and adopted the beltway buckle — caving to the Democrat leadership in Washington, time and time again.”

Trump blamed Tester’s “association with the likes of Chuck Schumer” for the apparent ideological shift, pointing out that “he votes with the Senate Minority Leader nearly 85 percent of the time — aligning him closer to voters in New York than his own constituents in Montana.”

Tester, however, has claimed Republican support for his stance on issues including hunting is a reason voters can rely on him to represent their needs in the nation’s capital.

“I’m voting for Tester, period.” Lifelong Republicans like Columbia Falls City Councilman Mike Shepard say that Jon’s commitment to MT’s veterans and conserving public lands for hunting space leave “no qualms” about voting for Jon Tester.https://t.co/uncarS3via #mtpol #mtsen — Jon Tester (@jontester) September 5, 2018

The Townhall column also described Tester’s ostensible “coziness with the establishment elite” and willingness to accept money from lobbyists as reasons Montana voters should elect his GOP challenger.

Do you think Tester's ad is deceptive? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 99% (761 Votes) 1% (9 Votes)

“All of this highlights the need for Montanans to support Republican Senate candidate Matt Rosendale,” Trump wrote. “Instead of people like Tester, who say one thing and do another, our communities deserve representatives who don’t establish a false facade every election season.’

He promised that when the Senate hopeful “says he stands up for Montana’s hunters, he means it. Matt won’t misguide them, take them for granted, or pander to them.”

Trump also suggested Rosendale’s “great relationship” with the president “would pay off nicely for the people of Montana” if he is elected.

RELATED: 2 Women Indicted on Major Charges for Allegedly Stealing Boy's MAGA Hat

“My father needs a team player who will work with him to continue to expand our booming economy and protect our constitutional rights such as gun ownership, and Tester has proven to be anything but that,” Trump wrote.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.