Shotgun-wielding Republican ‘hunts moderates’ in TV advert
A GUN-TOTING Republican Senate candidate has called for moderate members of his own party to be hunted down.
In a campaign advert, Eric Greitens, the former governor of Missouri, wields a shotgun and storms a house with a military unit. He declares he is hunting Rinos – Republicans in name only.
Facebook quickly removed the video, saying it violated policies on incitement to violence.
Moderate Republican politicians called it “sick” and “dangerous”.
Mr Greitens, 48, is leading the polls for the Senate nomination in a Republican primary in Missouri on Aug 2.
It is a safe Republican state, meaning he would be favourite to win a seat in the US Senate in the midterm elections in November.
In the advert, he is shown walking down a street with a shotgun. He says: “I’m Eric Greitens, Navy Seal, and today, we’re going Rino-hunting.”
Referring to former president Donald Trump’s slogan“make America Great Again”, he adds: “Join the ‘Maga’ crew. Get a Rino-hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit, and it doesn’t expire until we save our country.”
The advert was released just a day after Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a moderate Republican on the committee investigating the 2021 US Capitol riots, revealed he had received a death threat “to execute me, as well as my wife and five-month-old child”.
Mr Kinzinger called Mr Greitens a “very bad man”.
Other candidates in the Missouri Senate race condemned the “Rino-hunting” video.
Dave Schatz, a Republican politician, said it was “completely irresponsible”, adding: “That’s why I’m running. It’s time to restore sanity and reject this nonsense. Missouri deserves better.”
Mr Greitens’ campaign dismissed the criticism.
A spokesman said: “If anyone doesn’t get the metaphor, they are either lying or dumb.”