As far as making a splash goes, this campaign ad from Jerone Davison, a Republican candidate for Arizona’s 4th Congressional District, was released today and features an over-the-top controversial premise highlighting self-defense against attackers wearing Klan hoods.
The kicker here is that the attackers wearing the Klan hoods also have a Democrat donkey logo on their chest. The voiceover, from Davison, then explains that sometimes a full 30-round magazine in an AR-15 is needed when a victim comes under assault from “a dozen angry Democrats in Klan hoods.”
Here’s the full spot via Rumble originally from Jerone Davison on Twitter:
Needless to say, the video has sparked some outrage and/or praise depending on which side of the political aisle you may reside:
The ad drew reactions from both sides of the political spectrum.
“This has to be the greatest campaign ad in history! Best of luck in your race sir!” one Twitter post says.
Conservative commentator Shemeka Michelle wrote: “Haha!! I love it! He played their game against them.”
Others were not so supportive. “The historian in me is weeping. The human is screaming,” another Twitter user said.
“There’s something about Ex-NFL players & head injuries. Jerone Davison & Herschel Walker are walking advertisements of CTE,” another said, referring to the brain condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
The Davison campaign did not respond immediately to a request for comment about the ad.
Other reactions ranged from complete bewilderment that a Congressional candidate would release such a provocative ad to blaming former President Donald Trump for normalizing this sort of political discourse:
“Don’t know how to feel about this. What do you guys think?” wrote former Congressional candidate Barrington Martin II.
“After lying for years that it really was interested in minority outreach, the GOP establishment is about to get its minds blown by the fact new minorities coming to the party in spite of them are going to be even more radicalized than their typical white base,” BlazeTV host Steve Deace tweeted.
“Donald Trump’s presidency normalized hyperbole and absurdity in political advertising. And that alone may stand as his greatest contribution to the world,” wrote author Justin O’Donnell.
Others may view the spot in poor taste given the recent mass shooting in Highland Park near Chicago over the July 4th holiday weekend where 7 people were gunned down at an Independence Day parade.
Davison has yet to respond or release any public comments on the campaign ad but given the wide controversy it has created, perhaps it achieved its intended objective.
