MISSOULA, Mont. — Republican officials Rep. Ryan Zinke, Gov. Greg Gianforte and Senate hopeful Tim Sheehy joined Donald Trump Jr. at the Montana Association of Conservatives’ “Protecting Freedom Event” Sunday in an effort to rev up conservative voters for 2024.

“We need everyone out there for the governor, for Tim, for Ryan. but also guys go all the way down to dog catcher. Seriously, get involved, your school boards, your state reps, it all matters,” Trump Jr. said.

When not attacking the current administration over issues like foreign policy and the border, GOP officials took aim at incumbent Sen. Jon Tester.

Criticism of Tester ranged from personal insults to the senator’s voting record. Event headliners Trump Jr. and Alex Bruesewitz, who is the CEO of a pro-Trump media agency, both mocked Tester’s weight. Bruesewitz was one of several speakers who painted Tester as “far left.”

“I don’t think this is a far left state, is it?” Bruesewitz, the CEO of X Strategies LLC asked the crowd. “So tell me why do you guys keep sending Jon Tester back?”

Ukraine’s war against Russia was another topic many conservatives addressed. Zinke defended his recent no-votes on a bipartisan funding effort supporting Ukraine and Israel, while Trump Jr. compared the money to a “slush fund.”

“Is Ukraine a top three issue for anyone in the room?” Trump asked. (Some in the audience yell no)“No? Not one? Oh that’s interesting. How about a top ten? (some attendees yell no again) That’s amazing.”

NBC Montana caught up with GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy after the event to ask him his stance on funding Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion.

The U.S. should “absolutely not” be sending money to support Ukraine right now, Sheehy said.

“I wish Ukraine the best. I hope they push Putin out. I hope they win, but ultimately we have to be focused on what’s right for America first and that’s a long way down the list right now,” Sheehy said.

Americans should be taken care of first, the likely GOP Senate nominees said, citing illegal border crossings and the tens of thousands of deaths from fentanyl overdoses.

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As thrift stores have become increasingly popular over the last few years, many retailers have upped their prices to keep up with the demand. But these preloved goods sometimes have an even higher price tag than what one might find at a box store.

Justine Van De Riet opened Resurrected Thrift with her parents, James and Danielle Coombs, and her sister, Jaylynn Coombs, in hopes of making thrifted items accessible again using consumer conscientious methods. 

“I hear a lot of people saying that the bigger thrift stores are a lot more expensive now than they used to be. We try to find the right price point for people while still being able to keep the lights on,” Van De Riet said.

To get started, the family bought inventory from a thrift store that was closing in Conrad, and they continued to buy secondhand products until they officially opened their Kalispell store in April last year. 

Over the years the ambitious family has owned a construction company, an ice cream shop, and a landscaping company and Coombs’ father, James, is currently running for House District 18 in Conrad. 

Coombs said that many of her customers refer to the store as being more like a boutique than a thrift store due to the fact that donated items are thoroughly inspected. Afterward, Coombs washes every piece of clothing that comes through the store and places them carefully on a velvet hanger to prevent marks or tearing.

“I have not heard of any other thrift store that washes their clothes and if I have the time, I also try to clean the shoes too before putting them out to try and keep things on the nicer side,” Coombs said. 

Before becoming a part owner at Resurrected Thrift, Coombs worked at her father’s construction company. Coombs said she prefers working at the store because of the opportunities she has to talk to people. 

“I was recently saved and believing in God has helped me be able to talk with other people,” she said. “I’m opening my horizons in that aspect.”

“Our name comes from the resurrection of Jesus and then the resurrecting of clothes. We’re trying to give them a new life for somebody else.” 

While Resurrected Thrift is not a nonprofit, much of the proceeds go to supporting veterans and missionaries. 

“Both my parents are veterans and they were both in the air force and that’s how they met. My dad got to see more of the world and went to Italy, Spain, and South Korea, and my mom was stationed here in the U.S. Our country means a lot to us and we just want to try to give to veterans as much as we possibly can because many of them have risked their lives and their health for the country,” said Coombs.

The other portion of proceeds go to Coombs’ church, Faith Baptist Church, to provide for around 50 missionaries’ living expenses in countries including the Congo, Philippines, and Scotland. They also support an organization called Bearing Precious Seed which prints Bibles in 50 different languages and distributes them in over 115 countries.

Coombs loves seeing high quality products get donated and says she frequently sees upscale and brand new clothing come through the store.

“We get a lot of really cool brands in here,” she said. “If we get stuff with the tags still on, I’ll leave them because then people can truly see how good of a deal they’re getting. It’s also important for people to realize that sometimes I can’t go any lower with the prices to still be able to support the things that we want to support.”

Resurrected Thrift is located at 230 E Idaho St, Suite B in Kalispell. To find out more, visit their Facebook page Resurrected Thrift Kalispell or call 406-260-4410.

Reporter Summer Zalesky may be reached at szalesky@dailyinterlake.com.

    Resurrected Thrift opened last year in Kalispell. (Summer Zalesky/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Resurrected Thrift has a variety of items for sale. (Summer Zalesky/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Resurrected Thrift’s offerings include jewelry. (Summer Zalesky/Daily Inter Lake)