A Missouri Republican candidate for governor released a new ad promising to round up and deport immigrants, but one key feature of the spot revolted many viewers.
State Sen. Bill Eigel, who's polling well behind Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and secretary of state Jay Ashcroft in the Aug. 6 primary, appears in the ad alongside a much smaller Hispanic man who translates the GOP candidate's campaign promises but adds his own commentary until he becomes flustered when threatened with mass deportations.
"No more taxpayer handouts to illegals, period – nada, zilch, zero," Eigel says, to which the translator replies: "No more illegals. No more money. The party is over."
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"We're throwing them in jail, sending them back where they came from," the candidate adds, and the translator places his hands on his head and tugs at his scalp in frustration and says: "Ay caramba."
The ad shows the text, "Conservative Bill Eigel for Missouri: No more illegal immigrants," as a voice can be heard mimicking the cartoon character Speedy Gonzalez's catchphrase: "Ándale, ándale! Arriba, arriba!"
"It's time to take Missouri back," Eigel says, and flashes a smug grin.
The ad disgusted many viewers.
"Unreal," said entrepreneur and activist Justin Horowitz, who highlighted the TV spot on X.
"It’s been a while since I’ve been genuinely surprised how openly racist something is," said Chase Mitchell, a former writer for "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon."
"Our state can’t succeed and attract businesses and a talented workforce with leaders running on racist bigotry," said Crystal Quade, the Missouri House Democratic floor leader and also a gubernatorial candidate. "We need a leader who will unite Missourians, not divide us."
"Missouri GOP candidate for governor Bill Eigel is out with a blatantly racist and un-Christian TV ad mocking Latino people," said Scott Charton, a former Missouri Capitol correspondent for the Associated Press. "Shame on Bill Eigel for cynically appealing to the worst of us in his race to the bottom. Missourians want hope, not hate."
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