Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden says he has reported to law enforcement a tweet related to a controversial U.S. Senate campaign video by Eric Greitens.
The online video released Monday features an armed Greitens along with other people dressed in military-style clothing and gear. The group uses a battering ram to smash open the door of a house and one of the members tosses what appears to be a flash-bang grenade into the room. Greitens appears in the smoke-filled room and says, “Join the MAGA crew. Get a RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, and no tagging limit.”
RINO is an acronym for “Republican In Name Only,” a disparaging term referring to a politician whose political views are seen as not being conservative enough.
After the video’s release, an unofficial Greitens for Senate Twitter account tweeted, “Look out @Rep_TRichardson @jaybarnes5 @mikeparson @calebrowden @elijahhaahr, we’ve got our permits and we’re coming for you!”
Sen. Rowden tweeted Monday afternoon, “We have been in contact with the Missouri Highway Patrol and hope that former Gov Greitens finds the help he needs. Anyone with multiple accusations of abuse toward women and children should probably steer clear of this rhetoric.”
The Missouri Democratic Party is calling on the candidate to permanently remove what the party calls a “dangerous ad.”
State Senator Lauren Arthur, a Democrat from Kansas City, tweeted a response Monday reading, “Worth mentioning that it’s fanatically un-American to call for assassinating your political enemies, and doing so is dangerous in today’s political climate and disqualifying for any candidate seeking elected office, (especially) if said candidate is a sociopath who resigned in disgrace.”
The video by Greitens, who often claims to be a supporter of law enforcement, has been condemned by the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police. The group says it, “demonstrates that Mr. Greitens does not possess the sound judgment necessary to represent Missouri in the United States Senate.”
As of this writing, Facebook has taken down the ad for violating its rules and Twitter has tagged it as abusive.
The former Missouri governor is in a custody battle with his ex-wife, who has accused him of abusing her and their children.
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