Greitens brandishes gun in video, says he’s ‘RINO hunting’
Jun 20, 2022, 12:17 PM | Updated: Jun 25, 2022, 8:54 pm
UNIVERSITY CITY, MO - FEBRUARY 22: Missouri Governor Eric Greitens addresses the crowd at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery on February 22, 2017 in University City, Missouri. Greitens and US Vice President Mike Pence were on hand to speak to over 300 volunteers who helped cleanup after the recent vandalism. Since the beginning of the year, there has been a nationwide spike in incidents including bomb threats at Jewish community centers and reports of anti-semitic graffiti. (Photo: Michael Thomas/ Getty Images)
(Photo: Michael Thomas/ Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Eric Greitens, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Missouri, posted a campaign video ad on social media on Monday that shows him brandishing a shotgun and declaring that he’s hunting RINOs, or Republicans In Name Only.
In the video, Greitens identifies himself as a Navy SEAL and says he’s going RINO hunting. “The RINO feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of cowardice,” he whispers outside a building before a tactical unit breaks through a door and throws what appear to be flash-bang grenades inside.
Greitens, a former Missouri governor who resigned in disgrace in 2018, enters through the smoke and says, “Join the MAGA crew. Get a RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit and it doesn’t expire until we save our country.”
We are sick and tired of the Republicans in Name Only surrendering to Joe Biden & the radical Left.
Order your RINO Hunting Permit today! pic.twitter.com/XLMdJnAzSK
— Eric Greitens (@EricGreitens) June 20, 2022
The video comes at a time of renewed focus on gun violence and violence in politics following fatal mass shootings and threats to government officials. Two weeks ago, a man carrying a gun, a knife and zip ties was arrested near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house after threatening to kill the justice.
Twitter said Greitens’ post violated its rules about abusive behavior but said it was leaving it up because it was in the “public’s interest” for the tweet to be viewable. The company’s move prevented the post from being shared any further.
Facebook says it removed the video “for violating our policies prohibiting violence and incitement.”
Greitens campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.
