A national conservative talk show host gave Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy the opportunity to talk about a gunshot wound that records show happened in Glacier National Park, but the he Republican businessman-turned-politician said it happened because of friendly fire overseas during his Navy SEAL career.

Sheehy’s appearance left the host commenting “so confusing.”

Friday, Sheehy appeared on the Megyn Kelly Show with Kelly asking questions about the shooting incidentwhich has attracted state and national media attention as one of the defining questions that could also determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate. Sheehy is running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Big Sandy.

Sheehy insisted that a bullet in his arm was the result of “friendly fire” overseas and that he did not report the incident to commanders for fear of getting in trouble or having to leave the fight.

However, a ticket and interview with former Glacier Park ranger Kim Peach in 2015 detailed that Sheehy was instead cited for firing a gun in the park and was treated at an area hospital for his injury. Sheehy himself wrote a handwritten statement at that time he admitted that the improperly stored firearm had fallen and been discharged into his arm. Later paid the fine and the weapon, a .45 caliber revolverwas returned to him.

On Saturday, Sheehy was asked several times about the injury, and Kelly told him the interview was an opportunity to clarify what happened, as the issue had repeatedly been the focus of the campaign. Democrats used it to argue that he is lying and untrustworthy.

Sheehy said on the show that the friendly fire likely occurred because of foreign forces the U.S. military was assisting in Afghanistan, without giving details about when and where the incident occurred.

“There would be Afghans who, intentionally or not, would end up shooting at friendly forces. You know, sometimes they just start putting their weapons on automatic and, you know, shooting in the direction they want,” Sheehy said.

In his memoir, Sheehy said he was hit by friendly fire from a “total stud who went on to a successful career as a SEAL.”

In the interview with Kelly, he said he did not report the incident to commanders because it could interrupt their team in investigations, and also risked being sent away for medical treatment, something he said Sheehy to Kelly, which he didn’t want. to have arrived.

“You know, we were about half strength at this point in our deployment. We would have a lot of teammates injured and sent home,” Sheehy said. “And you know me, as a team commander, I had no position to be removed from the battlefield. Many of us have been hurt multiple times. We’re not reporting this just because we’re going to stay in the fight, stay with our team. We will complete our deployment and do our job. So unless these injuries are life threatening, of course, you know, if you’ve lost a limb, like some of our teammates have, or if there’s a serious injury, you’re going to take care of it, because you have to take care of this person, but otherwise, we continue to move forward.

Kelly repeatedly tried to redirect the conversation back to the incident itself, but Sheehy evaded the question, for example, in this exchange:

“Just to be clear: did you shoot yourself in the arm?” she asked.

“No, that was never the allegation. But the fact is, you know, it was a friendly fire ricochet that was not reported at that time and subsequently,” Sheehy said.

“I don’t want to dwell on that. I just want to give you a chance. I want to give you a chance to explain, because that’s their closing message. It’s all about this incident, but voters are confused,” Kelly said.

Instead, Sheehy said that while hiking in Glacier, he felt the bullet dislodge and went to the hospital.

“The fact is that at that time I was injured (at Glacier) and I went to the hospital, they required a police report, because any shooting range requires a police report of whatever nature it is. And they said, “We have to file this.” We need to report this to law enforcement,” Sheehy said. “And still having active team members, you know, in the department that were involved at that time, I just said, ‘Well, it’s an old department.’ They said, “No, we need to report this as a gunshot wound, you know, to law enforcement.” » So yeah, I said, “Well, okay, fine. It was an accident.

A Montana medical examiner who specializes in gunshot sounds recently said evidence showed it was possible that Sheehy injured his elbow during a battlefield firefight and died. also injured at Glacier Park.

Kelly asked what medical records could help clarify or corroborate the incident, but Sheehy said they did not exist.

“You come in, you check out, then you leave. There is no complete medical record for all of this. And unfortunately, that’s the crux. There’s just not much to say. They decided to take into account this report from a ranger that I gave them,” Sheehy replied.

Sheehy also insisted that he and the campaign have been transparent with voters, answering their questions, only to have Democrats continue to talk about it.

“No, we have discussed this at length and repeatedly with all media outlets over the last year. He was beaten to death,” Sheehy said.

However, national and state media reported that Sheehy dodged interviews and did not respond to questions about the Glacier National Park shooting incident.

The Daily Montanan twice asked the Sheehy campaign for medical records regarding this incident. The Sheehy campaign did not respond to any of these requests.

Le Quotidien Montanan renewed the demands Sunday morning.