A TV ad in Texas by a new dark-money group is sparking controversy in the race for governor by featuring film footage of the Uvalde school gunman, according to The Texas Tribune.
The 30-second spot was launched on Wednesday by the group, No It Couldn't LLC, the news outlet said. The ad is part of a small buy with limited reach. Citing figures from AdImpact, the Tribune said the group had about $29,000 reserved on cable TV through Sunday.
The ad is posted on YouTube with a warning: "The following content has been identified by the YouTube community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences. Viewer discretion is advised."
The ad takes issue with Gov. Greg Abbott signing a law easing restrictions on handguns.
It opens with a narrator saying: "After El Paso, Sutherland Springs, and Santa Fe, cops warned Greg Abbott that his new gun bills were dangerous."
It shows Abbott in a clip dated May 4, 2021, saying: "I don't think there is going to be any bad side effect to it."
Then it shows the gunman walking the halls of Robb Elementary School with his rifle.
It switches back to Abbott as he says, "And I feel pretty good about it passing."
It then goes back to footage of the gunman walking the halls. Moments later he is seen entering a door to a classroom as gunshots ring out.
The Tribune noted the law Abbott signed only applied to handguns. And, according to the Houston Chronicle, it allows Texans to carry a handgun without a license or training.
The no-permit carry of rifles had already been legalized.
State Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican who chairs the House's investigation of the shooting, was outraged by the ad.
"It is completely irresponsible to use a mass shooter's name or image," Burrows tweeted. "Doing so gives them what they sought in the first place — notoriety. It also inspires others to copycat their evil. I strongly condemn those who continue to do this with reckless abandon."
Abbott's campaign declined to comment on the ad.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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