Arizona Republican Senate hopeful slammed as 'disgusting' for violent campaign ad

Jim Lamon, one of the MAGA Republicans competing in Arizona’s 2022 GOP U.S. Senate primary, is drawing criticism for a new campaign ad that depicts him shooting at President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly — who he is hoping to compete with in the general election, and whose wife, Gabby Giffords, survived an attempted murder in 2011.
The ad, which Lamon posted on Twitter on February 10, is made to look like one of Italian director Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns of the 1960s. Lamon plays a Clint Eastwood-like character, and the music recalls Ennio Morricone’s work in Leone movies like “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “A Fistful of Dollars.” Actors portraying Biden, Pelosi and Kelly, all clad in western attire, are described in the ad as “The D.C. Gang” — and Lamon shoots the guns out of their hands.
Arizona has had enough of the DC Gang\u2019s open borders, high gas prices, and shifty politicians pushing us around. @CaptMarkKelly @JoeBiden @TeamPelosi, it\u2019s time for a good old-fashioned showdown. \n\nCheck out our new Super Bowl ad, The Showdown, here pic.twitter.com/mJTbFuS0du— Jim Lamon (@Jim Lamon) 1644516409
Lamon, also wearing western attire, declares, “The good people of Arizona have had enough of you. It’s time for a showdown.”
The Guardian’s Gloria Oladipo reports, “Criticism towards the ad has been swift, with many people pointing out other recent instances of violent imagery used by members of the Republican Party. Last November, Paul Gosar, Republican representative for Arizona, was officially censured by the House after sharing an animated video depicting him killing the Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking Biden.”
Shannon Watts, founder of the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, slammed the ad as “disgusting”:
DISGUSTING: Former Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot and and seriously wounded 10 years ago. Her husband\u2019s Republican US Senate opponent, @jim_lamon, just put out an ad in which he shoots Mark Kelly and other Democrat leaders. #AzSenpic.twitter.com/eoBIJH8ap0— Shannon Watts (@Shannon Watts) 1644518090
Here are some more reactions to Lamon’s ad.:
you should be ashamed of yourself— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1644549330
Bad messaging aside, it's an absolute joke presenting Lamon as a tough and gritty gunslinger considering he's more of a "Hyuk hyuk!" guy in real life.pic.twitter.com/540uBkBM1t— CopperStateDemocrat (@CopperStateDemocrat) 1644534801
Hey, Jim.\n\nI\u2019ve been a friend of Mark and Gabby\u2019s for about seven years. I\u2019ve watched her struggle to recover from the devastating effects of a gunshot to her head. That you would produce an ad like this in that context is just sick. It verges on being truly evil.— Bill Prady (Taylor's Version) (@Bill Prady (Taylor's Version)) 1644527375
Reporting this for promoting violence and threatening elected officials. I sincerely hope you receive a visit from the Secret Service. This is abominable.— Nantifa in AZ\ud83c\udf35 \ud83d\ude37 (@Nantifa in AZ\ud83c\udf35 \ud83d\ude37) 1644518968
@SuperBowl @nbc You can't seriously consider airing this ad. To allow someone to air a commercial threatening violence against elected officials is unconscionable and disgusting.— Nita Cosby (@Nita Cosby) 1644531810
You think an ad about shooting your opponent, especially when his wife, Congresswoman Gabbie Gifford suffered life altering injury in a mass shooting where 18 were injured, 6 killed including a 9 year old appeals to Arizona voters?\nI really hope you are wrong. I really do.— Susan Wilson. Professional Liberal. \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Susan Wilson. Professional Liberal. \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1644540737
After January 6, 2021, insurrection and countless mass shootings across America, you think you have the sense not to make an ad threatening violence against the President of the United States, a US Senator whose wife was the victim of gun violence and the Speaker. @SecretService— Bobby Entzminger (@Bobby Entzminger) 1644525806
I just reported this. I hope you will too. We must make a stand and send the unequivocal message that this kind of violent stunt is inappropriate. He\u2019s not auditioning for a movie. He probably doesn\u2019t have a platform if this is all he can come up with— AvA \ud83c\udf0e (@AvA \ud83c\udf0e) 1644528103
"Threats of violence have become commonplace among a significant part of the party, as historians and those who study democracy warn of a dark shift in American politics."https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/us/politics/republican-violent-rhetoric.html\u00a0\u2026— (Italian) Bamboo cryptologist (@(Italian) Bamboo cryptologist) 1644548670
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