Arizona Republican House candidate Jerone Davison—a former American football running back and current Evangelical Christian pastor—had people scratching their heads after he released a campaign ad in which he claims he needs an AR-15 to protect himself against Democrats in "Klan hoods."
Davison, who provided voiceover for the ad, criticized Democrats who've said "no one needs" assault weapons and advocated for gun control, insisting one is necessary to defend himself against “a dozen angry Democrats in Klan hoods.”
The ad, which you can see below, shows Davison preparing to face men wearing hoods reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) by walking toward them with a loaded AR-15.
Its title: "Make Rifles Great Again."
Davison's ad comes mere weeks after the Senate reached a deal on a package of safety and gun-related measures to prevent future mass shootings.
The deal, which includes funds to encourage states to pass and implement so-called "red flag" laws to remove guns from a person who they believe may present a danger to others or themselves as well as money for school safety and mental health resources and expanded background checks.
The deal came amid nationwide outrage over a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. Since then, the nation has been gripped by more mass shootings, particularly one at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois that resulted in seven deaths and more than 40 injuries.
However, the shootings have only emboldened Republicans who have increased their pro-gun sales rhetoric and some, like Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have opted to eat their own, as when she criticized South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham after news outlets reported he was involved in bipartisan Senate negotiations on gun legislation.
Davison's ad has been harshly criticized.
Davison has used his campaign to highlight what he says are examples of constitutional rights "under unprecedented assault." He has vowed to initiate a "War on Corruption" if elected and believes he can "challenge toxic narratives and work every day to uplift the spirit of this nation."
When not accusing Democrats of being members of the KKK, Davison entertains conspiracy theories. He hired Austin Steinbart, who claims he’s a deep-cover agent from the future for the Defense Intelligence Agency and whose ideas have been considered too "out there" even for QAnon, to be his campaign manager.
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