Will Juan Ciscomani (candidate for AZ-06) denounce this latest dangerous ad from a potential Arizona delegation colleague?
Washington, DC – A new ad from Arizona GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters is a vile and dangerous encapsulation of the Republican candidates’ continued embrace of “replacement” and “invasion” conspiracies, even after the Buffalo white supremacist killings. The new 30-second ad, which features clips of Fox News host Tucker Carlson calling Masters a “smart guy” and noting, “we are rooting for him,” mostly features Masters speaking to the camera spouting dangerous nativist lies:
“It’s not just about border violence … or fentanyl pouring in by the ton … or importing 20 million illegals and giving them amnesty [as the text on-screen features Haitian asylum seekers] … No, it’s about a small group of elites who want to destroy this country. That’s why the Democrats push open borders. It’s time to militarize this border. We are going to end this invasion.”
The ad follows Masters’ earlier claims that Democrats were trying to “flood the nation with millions of immigrants ‘to change the demographics of our country,’” and assertions that, “what the left really wants to do is change the demographics of this country … They want to do that so they can consolidate power so they can never lose another election.”
As a reminder, the white nationalist “replacement” conspiracy hinges on the belief that Jews and “the Left/elites” are looking to replace white Americans with immigrants and non-white voters to take over and transform the country. The “invasion” conspiracy is directly linked to replacement theory and the same white nationalist worldview that asserts those coming to our southern border to request asylum constitute an “invasion.” The subtext is not subtle: “the dangerous ‘other’ is invading us so they can replace us.” The Buffalo gunman’s white supremacist screed made the connection explicit.
According to Zachary Mueller, Political Director for America’s Voice:
“We’ve been poring through Republican candidates’ ugly anti-immigrant ads for the last few election cycles and the new ad from Blake Masters is one of the most vile and dangerous nativist ads we’ve seen, nearly indistinguishable from sections of the white supremacist gunman’s screed in the racist Buffalo mass murders.
The paid promotion of the same ideas that have inspired numerous terrorists to kill our fellow Americans should be immediately disqualifying for anyone seeking public office, let alone a U.S. Senate candidate. Every Republican who has claimed white nationalists don’t have a place in their party must loudly denounce this ad from Masters, and this includes Juan Ciscomani and other GOP candidates in Arizona. The Masters’ ad is packed full of harmful and dangerous lies, and there must be political accountability for these actions for the safety of all Americans and our democracy. ”
The ad underscores the importance and urgency of the new America’s Voice bilingual campaign, “Show Me Your Friends,” initially focused on six Republicans running in House battleground districts that run along parts of the U.S./Mexico border, including Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06). There’s a wise saying in Spanish, “Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres” – show me your friends and I’ll show you who you are” – that is the inspiration for the campaign. These candidates have refused to distance themselves or denounce Republicans’ dangerous extremism on immigration and the border, including the “invasion” and “white replacement” rhetoric and conspiracy theories. Watch an explainer video about the campaign HERE. Watch individual videos focused on each of the GOP candidates HERE.
In an interview published in the New York Times, candidate Juan Ciscomani refused to denounce or disagree with the “invasion” comments and white nationalist sympathies of other Arizona Republicans Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, saying instead, “Their races and their messaging is geared toward their constituency.”
Concluded Mueller:
“Juan Ciscomani and the rest of the Arizona Republicans up and down the ballot should answer whether they agree with or denounce Blake Masters’ white nationalist ad and worldview. Is this just another example of ‘messaging geared to their constituency,’ as Ciscomani put it earlier? The stakes are too high and the dangers too great to accept evasive non-answers or pretend that silence is not complicity.”
- Visit the America’s Voice campaign website, with content available in both English and Spanish: https://showmeyourfriends.org/
- Check out ongoing examples of Republicans’ anti-immigrant ads at the America’s Voice GOP Ad Tracker: http://gopadtracker.com/
