GOP Rep. Mo Brooks Uses Congressional Shooting for Senate Campaign

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) is invoking the shooting of Republican congressmen at a Virginia baseball field as part of his campaign for the U.S. Senate. His new video ad, released Monday, begins with audio of the incident and the captions, “June 14: A Bernie Sanders supporter fires on Republican congressmen. Mo Brooks gives his belt as a tourniquet to help the wounded. What’s the liberal media immediately ask?” The commercial then cuts to Brooks being asked by a reporter, “Does this change your views on the gun situation in America?” As patriotic music swells in the background, Brooks responds, “The right to bear arms is to ensure that we always have a republic. So, no, I’m not changing my position on any of the rights that we enjoy as Americans.” House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was injured in the June 2017 shooting, as well as a Capitol Police officer, a congressional aide, and a Tyson Foods lobbyist. In response to the ad, a spokesperson for Scalise said: “I guess some people have their own ideas about what’s appropriate.”