WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican candidate Eric Greetens posted a promotional video on social media Monday to the U.S. Senate in Missouri, claiming he was holding a shotgun and hunting down rhinos or Republicans by name only.
In the video, Greetens identified himself as a Navy SEAL and said he was going on a rhino hunt. “The RINO eats corruption and is marked by stripes of cowardice,” he said as he smashed the tactical unit door before whispering outside a building, throwing what appeared to be flash-bang grenades.
Greetings, a former governor of Missouri who resigned in disgrace In 2018, enter through the smoke and say, “Join the MAGA staff. Get a RINO hunting permit. There is no bagging limit, no tagging limit and it will not expire until we protect our country.
The video came at a time when gun violence and violence in politics are the focus of attention after deadly mass shootings and threats to government officials. Two weeks ago, a man was arrested with a gun, knife and zip tie near the home of Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanagh for threatening to kill a judge.
Twitter said the Greetings post violated its rules about abusive behavior, but said it was leaving because of “public interest” in viewing the tweet. The organization’s action prevented the post from being shared anymore.
Facebook said the video was removed “for violating our policies that prohibit violence and incitement.”
The Greetings campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.