Last week, a Republican Virginia state lawmaker ran a Facebook ad warning gun control advocacy groups she is “not afraid to shoot” them down. Now she’s blaming the language on a digital media company she said was hired to work on it.
The initial ad run by state Senator Amanda Chase, who represents Chesterfield County, read, “I’m not afraid to shoot down gun groups.”
In a statement Friday, Chase called the “ludicrous unauthorised” message a mistake, releasing an edited ad that reads, “I’m not afraid to shoot down any attacks by anti-gun groups, because gun rights are women’s rights.”
According to the senator, the change isn’t meant to be a mea culpa.
“This has nothing to do with me toning down my message; it has everything to do with the digital media company we just recently hired screwing up our original approved ad,” she said, accusing the company of altering the approved ad after it was submitted.
However, not everyone is accepting Chase’s explanation, and her Democratic opponent Amanda Pohl tweeted that it was an example of her “dangerous rhetoric.”
“Gun violence prevention advocates and constituents deserve an apology not excuses,” Pohl wrote.
Chase’s first ad has also sparked backlash from the state’s Democratic party, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring and Parkland, Florida, shooting survivor David Hogg, who called out the senator online.
The name of the digital agency purportedly involved has not yet been released, though Chase said one of its representatives “admitted fault.” She has vowed to reveal the name of the company if it does not publicly apologize by noon on Monday.