KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers political issues impacting the Kansas City region. We told this story because several viewers reached out asking questions about the ad. Have a story idea to share with Charlie? Send him an e-mail.
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Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Saturday, political leaders called on candidates and campaigns to pull back on rhetoric and violence in campaigns.
But Will Scharf, a Republican running to become Missouri’s attorney general, has not pulled an ad from the airwaves showing Scharf with a grenade launcher.
Scharf, an attorney on Trump's legal team, never pulls the trigger, but the ad shows a pile of legal documents from Trump’s court cases explode.
Viewers called and sent messages to KSHB 41 News after the ad aired on Monday.
🚨NEW CAMPAIGN AD🚨
— Will Scharf (@willscharf) July 9, 2024
Are you sick and tired of Joe Biden’s attacks on President Trump, our Constitution, and the MAGA agenda?
It’s time for a Missouri Attorney General who will return fire. pic.twitter.com/xTk7uNde9y
Gregg Keller, a spokesperson for Scharf, sent KSHB 41 News the following statement.
"Will Scharf’s Attorney General campaign commercial featuring him shooting a grenade launcher has caught fire with grassroots Missourians because it shows how, as President Trump’s attorney, he’ll take on the Deep State and prosecute corrupt, career politicians," Keller wrote. "The mainstream media has reacted predictably, with calls to censor us but we will keep this ad in heavy rotation throughout the state: Missourians deserve to know Will Scharf is the only conservative outsider running for Attorney General."
When KSHB 41 News showed the ad to voters at Loose Park, they shook their heads in disagreement.
“Too many people are taking politics like a sporting event. One side has to lose for the other side to have to win. Who loses in all that is constituents, us,” said Mat Stromer.
“I think the visual signal there is just too assaultive,” said Rich Drinon.
“I believe that is going to cause more division between the two parties and lead to more violence,” added David Hilton.
“What does that tell you about his qualifications for attorney general?” asked former Kansas City Mayor Sly James.
James now consults on campaigns with his firm Wickham James Strategies & Solutions. He works mostly with broad policy issues, not individual candidates.
In 2011, James and his opponent Mike Burke won an award for the civility of their mayoral campaigns that year. Now, James would like to see more substance in political advertising.
“There are a lot of people who vote against things, we’d rather have people who vote in favor of things,” he said.
James is disappointed in the leadership of both major parties for allowing political rhetoric to reach the point it has. But he does not see any immediate change in the future, despite calls from both sides of the aisle.
“It’s kind of like seeing someone who’s a smoker and saying, ‘Today I’m quitting.’ Check with them in a month and see if they still quit. Generally, no,” he pointed out.
Federal laws prevent broadcasters from censoring or removing political ads from legally qualified candidates.
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