Missouri Senate candidate Eric Greitens releases RINO hunting ad

On June 20, 2022, Eric Greitens — the embattled former Republican governor of Missouri running for U.S. Senate — releases a 38-second campaign video. Greitens, armed with a shotgun and with a handgun holstered at his side, leads a group of men in tactical gear who throw what appears to be a flash-bang grenade before bursting through a door. "Today, we're going RINO hunting," Greitens says with a smile, sliding his shotgun. "Get a RINO hunting permit. There's no bagging limit, no tagging limit, and it doesn't expire until we save our country." RINO stands for "Republican in name only" — a term used to target moderate or anti-Trump Republicans. The ad's imagery directly depicts violent tactical assault against political opponents. Twitter flags the video and removes it for policy violations; Facebook takes it down for violating rules against violence and abuse. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) says: "This is sociopathic. You're going to get someone killed." Greitens is one of 21 Republicans in the Missouri Senate primary. Despite widespread condemnation — including from some Republicans — Greitens loses the primary but is not censured by Republican leadership.