The populist Missouri Democrat Lucas Kunce declared his intention to run for the US Senate in 2024 and immediately published an advertisement highlighting how his potential rival, Republican senator Josh Hawley, fled the mob he incited the day the US Capitol was attacked.
Over images of a man jogging on a country road while wearing a tattered suit and dropping a US flag pin, Kunce said, “I’ve done a lot of running in my life.”
“Running to maintain my health, running to defend democracy, and running to defend my nation. By the way, I’m not that guy you’re staring at. Our current senator from the US is Josh Hawley. This person.
The next image in the advertisement was a well-known one of Hawley raising his fist to Trump fans outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Hawley has exploited this image to raise money.
Or perhaps you should recognise him escaping death a few hours later, Kunce suggested.
The House January 6 committee released security footage of Hawley fleeing from Donald Trump supporters in July of last year. The supporters had broken into the Capitol in search of lawmakers to kill or capture in the riot that has since claimed nine lives, including law enforcement officers who committed suicide.
The video of Hawley, which was frequently set to humorous music, quickly gained popularity.
Hawley is yet largely regarded as a potential contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He will consequently publish a book this year.