Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore
Brandon Herrera speaks on the Revolution 2022 conservative convention in Florida.
A far-right candidate for Texas’ twenty third Congressional district, which incorporates a part of San Antonio, is catching flak for poking enjoyable at veteran suicides.
Brandon Herrera, who’s operating in opposition to incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales within the GOP main, made a joke about veteran suicides final week on the Unsubscribe podcast. Since then, he is drawn stinging criticism from Gonzales, at the least one Texas sheriff and Texas’ newly appointed Border Czar.
“If it makes everybody within the room really feel higher, I usually take into consideration placing a gun in my mouth,” Herrera mentioned across the one-hour and eight-minute mark of the podcast. “So, I am mainly an honorary veteran.”
Herrera continued: “Each particular person I ever informed that to, each veteran I’ve ever informed that joke to, laughed their ass off.”
Regardless of Herrera’s occasion that vets discover his joke to be a knee slapper, not everybody was laughing.
“Particular place in hell for scum and villainy who mock veteran suicide or shoot up a church,” Gonzales tweeted Sunday as he shared a photograph of a headline about Herrera’s quip.
Particular place in hell for scum and villainy who mock veteran suicide or shoot up a church. pic.twitter.com/6GtkEUUofx
— Tony Gonzales (@TonyGonzales4TX) February 18, 2024
Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland additionally chimed in on Herrera’s try at humor in a prolonged Feb. 13 Fb put up.
“I am a veteran, I’ve a son at present serving within the Center East and all through my profession within the U.S. Border Patrol I served alongside many Veterans of the United Armed Forces,” Cleveland wrote. “Veteran suicide is actual and a median of 17 veterans take their life every day.”
Texas Border Czar Mike Banks commented on Cleveland’s Fb put up, calling Herrera’s feedback “sickening.”
Herrera’s marketing campaign workplace did not instantly reply to the Present’s request for remark.
Herrera, also called the “AK man,” is a North Carolina-based firearm entrepreneur and social media character with greater than 2.8 million subscribers on Youtube. This is not the primary time he is stoked controversy throughout his run for Gonzales’ seat.
Residents of District 23 — which incorporates Uvalde, web site of the worst faculty taking pictures in Texas historical past — lambasted Herrera in December when he posted a Christmas message whereas holding an assault-style rifle.
Herrera is a staunch critic of Gonzales’ positions on gun management, particularly the incumbent’s vote to go the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act handed final yr. That measure — the primary important piece of gun management laws to come back out of Congress since in 30 years — seems to be to stop one other Uvalde-style assault. Three different opponents within the Republican main have additionally focused Gonzales over his vote.
Early voting begins Feb. 20, and the first will probably be held March 5.
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