GOP candidate says campaign ad was rejected over ‘Let’s Go Brandon’

Republican Senate candidate Jim Lamon (Ariz.) said Wednesday that Yahoo rejected his campaign ad because he used the anti-Biden phrase “Let’s go Brandon.”

Lamon released a digital ad Monday focusing on immigration and attacking Democratic politicians such as President Biden. 

“Let’s take the fight to Joe Biden and show him We the People put America first. The time is now,” Lamon said, before adding “Let’s go Brandon.”

Lamon had plans to run the ad on Yahoo before the company rejected it. Fox News obtained an email exchange between Yahoo and TAG Strategies Wednesday saying the ad would only be approved if “Let’s go Brandon” was taken out of it. 

“We would not be able to approve this ad due to the use of ‘Let’s Go Brandon,’ which would be considered overly inflammatory and offensive. If that is excluded we would be able to approve it,” a Yahoo manager said in an email to TAG Strategies, per Fox. “If that is excluded we would be able to approve.”

Lamon released a video Wednesday on Twitter, with the post saying “the Big Tech Oligarchs are interfering in elections and censoring conservatives.”

“Big Tech stepped in to help their liberal buddies who can’t win elections fairly,” he said in the video. “I say bring it on and American stand up. Let’s take back our country and oh, by the way, Let’s go Brandon.”

The controversial phrase gained popularity among Biden‘s critics after an October NASCAR event. 

During an interview following the event, an NBC Sports reporter mistakenly said the crowd was chanting, “Let’s go, Brandon” in support of NASCAR driver Brandon Brown when the crowd was actually chanting, “F— Joe Biden.”

The phrase appears to have stuck with various conservative and Republican groups. Vermont’s Republican Party held a “Let’s go, Brandon” rally in the city of Brandon, while the Trump campaign sent out an email in October selling T-shirts featuring the phrase to supporters who donated a minimum of $45. 

Lamon is running in a crowded primary field as Republicans look to take Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D) seat. 

The Hill has reached out to Yahoo and TAG Strategies for comment.