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Jerone Davison, Arizona’s GOP Congressional candidate running for the 4th Congressional District, recently came under fire for publishing a campaign ad promoting the use of semi-automatic rifles, demanding the protection of the second amendment, and depicting Democrats in Klan hoods.
The ad was released online with a caption that read “Make rifles great again” and featured several people wearing white robes and Klan hoods. In the voiceover, Davison can be heard mocking recent calls for gun control measures across the US:
“Democrats like to say that no one needs an AR-15 for self-defense. That no one could possibly need all 30 rounds. But when this rifle is the only thing standing between your family and a dozen angry Democrats in Klan hoods, you just might need that semi-automatic and all 30 rounds.”
In the video, people wearing Klan hoods are shown running towards a residential house with hammers, axes, bats, and other weapons. The footage then cuts to Jerone Davison standing at the window holding a semi-automatic rifle.
The group can then run away after Davison walks out of the house while holding the weapon. The ad ends with the politician looking in the distance while a single white hood is seen floating in the water.
Twitter reacts to Jerone Davison’s campaign ad
Jerone Davison’s controversial campaign ad portraying Democrats in the Klan hood, seeking the protection of the Second Amendment, and promoting the use of AR-15 recently went viral online.
The video also sparked a debate on social media. While some Republicans praised the video, others took to Twitter to condemn the portrayal of Democrats as Ku Klux Klan members for promoting the second amendment:
As the backlash against Davison's ad poured in online, some users also came to his defense and lauded his campaign ad:
Davison’s video comes at a time when the US is grappling with numerous instances of gun violence. A renewed debate about gun control measures rocked the country after 22-year-old Robert Crimo organized a shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
The incident left seven individuals dead and dozens of others injured, prompting many gun reform activists to call for a ban on easy access and purchasing semi-automatic rifles in the US.
Everything to know about Jerone Davison
Jerone Davison is a former NFL running back who played for the Sacramento Gold Miners in 1994 and the Oakland Raiders from 1996 to 1997. He is currently running for Arizona's 4th congressional district in the 2022 election as a Republican candidate.
According to Ballotpedia, Davison was born in Picayune, Mississippi, on September 16, 1970, and earned a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in 1992. As per his Secretary of State profile, Davison believes in running “on a platform that emphasizes faith, family, and freedom.”
The former footballer has reportedly listed financial reform, education reform, and criminal justice reform as some of his top priorities. Media Matters reported that Davison wrote on Facebook that QAnon influencer Austin Steinbart ran his campaign.
In addition to Davison, Chandler City Councilman Rene Lopez, former Marine Kelly Cooper, engineer Dave Giles, and small-business owner Tanya Wheeless are also running for the GOP nomination in the primary on August 2.
