Republican Mike Collins, who's running for Congress in Georgia, released a campaign ad Monday that shows him blowing up a box of papers representing "Pelosi's plan" with a semi-automatic rifle, before using a gun to shoot a mock "RINO" — or "Republican in name only" — in the head.
"I'm going to Washington to stop the Pelosi agenda, and you're not going to silence me," Collins says in the ad, after blowing up the box with papers that apparently represent "Pelosi's plan for America." He then steps on a smoldering piece of paper with those words on it.
Collins, a truck driver, is then shown getting in the cab of his tractor-trailer and driving down the road, crashing through a sign that says "THE SWAMP."
"Conservatives have gotten steamrolled thanks to spineless politicians for far too long, and it's time to fight back," Collins says.
"If you think I'm just going to fight the Democrats, think again, because in the Swamp, it's 'RINO' season too," he adds, before shooting a depiction of a rhinoceros in the head.
Later in the ad, Collins again stares down the scope of the semi-automatic rifle, saying he'll fight for "a limited federal government" before firing multiple rounds.
"I'm a conservative, pro-life, pro-gun, pro-Trump, God-fearing truck driver, and I'm not afraid to say I was pro-Trump from day one," Collins says in the ad. "I believe in the Constitution, and that the founding fathers got it right the first time. I will fight like hell to secure our elections, defend our Constitution and stop the immigration invasion. ... Washington needs an overhaul, and we the people are taking our country back."
Here's how Twitter reacted.
Mike Collins ensures that #Georgia remains the laughing stock of US with this pathetic and openly violent campaign video.\n\nHe believes the founding father "had it right the first time", you know, when Black people, native Americans, and women didn't count. https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— \u00a9\ufe0fas Mudde \ud83d\ude37 (@\u00a9\ufe0fas Mudde \ud83d\ude37) 1629725802
Wow. There\u2019s definitely a history of Republican candidates using guns in campaign ads but the new subtext is January 6th. \n\nThis guy shoots at targets representing Pelosi\u2019s \u201cplan for America,\u201d moderate \u201cRINO\u201d Republicans, and \u2026the federal government.pic.twitter.com/BBc2p1hZ35— Zeeshan Aleem (@Zeeshan Aleem) 1629725169
GEORGIA. Trucking company owner Mike Collins (R) is turning himself into a Hollywood buffoonish caricature of a Southern conservative candidate.https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— Politics1.com (@Politics1.com) 1629725561
If it's a Georgia Republican then you can bet there's lotsa guns involved and this guy doesn't disappoint. As a bonus, there's also a semi-truck included and an apparent endorsement of assassinating congressional "RINOs." \n\nOtherwise, it's the same MAGA rhetoric.https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— SFDB (@SFDB) 1629725508
This advertisement is symbolic politics on steroids mating with a symbolic politics partner and spawning a mutant symbolic politics lovechild.https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— Ryan D. Enos (@Ryan D. Enos) 1629724368
nope not a parody video.....https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— Matt Timblin (@Matt Timblin) 1629726292
Please report this account for actively threatening and promoting violence. Such people should be in jail and not running for US Congress.https://twitter.com/mikecollinsga/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— Ritesh \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Ritesh \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1629727290
Tell me you're a racist asshole with a tiny peen without saying you're a racist asshole with a tiny peen\n\nGFYhttps://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— Lisa Nicole (@Lisa Nicole) 1629726868
Our Founding Fathers would have laughed at these idiotshttps://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1429786854287679493\u00a0\u2026— Green Fire (@Green Fire) 1629726711
