NRA defends ‘closed fist of truth’ ad

Dana Loesch, spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association, this week defended a recruitment ad after a House Democrat accused the gun organization of trying to “exploit” the recent shooting at a congressional baseball practice and further divide Americans.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) took to Twitter on Thursday to accuse the ad of exploiting the shooting that occurred earlier this month when a gunman opened fire on GOP lawmakers who were practicing baseball in Alexandria, Va. 

So they’re trying to exploit Alexandria and cutting disgusting ads to make people afraid and divide people even more https://t.co/u2yLWVarjt

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) June 29, 2017

Beginning the day of the Alexandria shooting, NRA-backed bills were introduced in Congress to exploit the tragedy and weaken gun safety laws https://t.co/JPVYElZTxV

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) June 29, 2017

Loesch shot back that the ad condemned violence, which Beyer did not do. She also said the ad was filmed prior to the shooting.

This ad was filmed in April. Disappointed you don’t condemn the violence I’m condemning in this ad. Your assumptions are divisive. https://t.co/7UCqtPscYE

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 29, 2017

The ad attacked the media, Hollywood and other institutions in the U.S. conservatives claim are liberal-leaning.

{mosads}“They use their media to assassinate real news. They use schools to teach children that their president is another Hitler. They use their movie stars, singers, and comedy shows and award shows to repeat their narrative over and over again,” Loesch says in the ad.

“And then they use their ex-president to endorse the resistance, all to make them march, to make them protest, make them scream ‘racism’ and ‘sexism’ and ‘xenophobia’ and ‘homophobia.’”

The NRA spokeswoman then says violence and delays are the result of protests and riots, like smashed windows, burned cars and the need for the police to intervene.

“The only way we stop this, the only way we save our country and our freedom is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth,” the ad concludes, with a text prompt for viewers to join the NRA.

The NRA on Thursday tweeted a photo of Rosie the Riveter with the hashtag #ClenchedFistofTruth.

#ClenchedFistOfTruth @DLoesch pic.twitter.com/BIShQrcDcZ

— NRA (@NRA) June 29, 2017