Hawley Responds Opponents Event
The Missouri Senate race between incumbent Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Lucas Kunce has largely shown Hawley holding a comfortable lead in most polls. However, with a couple of polls suggesting that Kunce is inching closer, one would assume that Kunce would be running a tight, disciplined campaign in the final stretch. Yet, an event he hosted earlier this week shows quite the opposite, with Kunce’s campaign gathering going awry—both politically and in terms of safety.
The scene after Josh Hawley’s opponent @LucasKunceMO accidentally shot a reporter at an event with Adam Kinzinger pic.twitter.com/OMtVjJ6dYr
— Mike Berg (@MikeKBerg) October 23, 2024
On Tuesday, Kunce hosted a shooting event featuring union members at a private residence in Holt, Missouri, about 40 miles northeast of Kansas City. What might have been a routine campaign stop turned into a media spectacle for all the wrong reasons. Not only did Kunce invite Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman and NeverTrumper, but there was also a significant incident involving a reporter from KSHB 41 News.
“Great day at the range we shot a reporter but otherwise all good!” What???? https://t.co/HTT18xDU96
— Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) October 23, 2024
Ryan Gamboa, a reporter covering the event, was struck in the arm by a metal fragment while Kunce was firing an AR-15-style weapon. The fragment could have been from a ricochet or another piece of debris, but regardless, Gamboa had to be taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released. The incident, eerily reminiscent of the 2006 accident where Vice President Dick Cheney shot a fellow hunter during a quail hunting trip, has quickly become a talking point for the Hawley campaign.
While Kunce was busy shooting at reporters, Erin and I were traveling the state … pic.twitter.com/uZc0DesE1F
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 23, 2024
Kunce attempted to downplay the event with a tweet where he focused on how he tended to the reporter’s injury. But that didn’t stop Hawley and his team from seizing the moment, questioning Kunce’s judgment in both his choice of activities and political allies. Kunce’s decision to bring Adam Kinzinger, a vocal anti-Trump Republican, to a pro-union, blue-collar shooting event was another questionable move, likely alienating Trump-aligned voters who might already be wary of Kunce’s platform.
I’m sorry, but this tweet is INSANE. It contains multitudes. The longer you look at the photos, the worse it gets.
1) They are shooting steel at 5-7 yards with rifles, which could’ve killed somebody given the force with which the bullets will ricochet off the steel targets at… https://t.co/S6jiawDlFe
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 23, 2024
On social media, critics quickly pointed out what they saw as Kunce’s lack of firearm safety, noting the photos from the event as examples of “what never to do” at a shooting range. The phrase “Democrats and guns don’t mix” has been making the rounds as well, adding fuel to the fire for those who already view Democrats as out of touch when it comes to Second Amendment issues.