President Donald Trump speaks during a bill signing ceremony for the "VA Mission Act" in the Rose Garden of the White House on June 6. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo Trump snubs Tester at VA bill signing

President Donald Trump’s vendetta against Sen. Jon Tester took a snippy turn today when the Democratic senator from Montana was left off the invite list for a White House signing of a VA bill that he had co-written.

Although the VA Mission Act passed 92-5 in the Senate and 347-70 in the House, there were no Democrats at Trump's side. Tester, the ranking member on the Senate Veterans Affairs committee, wasn’t even in the room.


“He did not get invited to the White House, even though he wrote this bill with Chairman [Johnny] Isakson,” Tester spokeswoman Marnee Banks said.

A White House spokesman noted that Democratic Reps. Julia Brownley of California and Ann McLane Kuster of New Hampshire were present at the ceremony.

Trump went on a Twitter rampage against Tester in April, saying he should “have a big price to pay” for releasing employee statements that led Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson to withdraw his nomination to be VA secretary. Jackson was accused of inappropriately prescribing drugs, drinking on duty and creating a hostile work environment while serving as White House doctor.

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The Pentagon says now it had found the allegations, which Jackson denied, credible enough to open an inspector general's investigation.

Trump also snubbed Tester and other Democrats at a signing ceremony May 24 for a banking bill that 16 Democratic senators had supported. But the White House angered some GOP leaders by inviting Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana to stand by Trump at other recent ceremonies.

Lorraine Woellert contributed to this alert.