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You may have heard there’s a “Debate About Debates” going on in Missouri.
But yesterday, after Josh Hawley reserved $1,000,000 in TV ads to air false attacks against me (more on that later), the truth behind this “debate” was exposed, as was the total brokenness of our politics. Here's how it happened:
First, where things stand…
I believe ALL Missourians should get to hear from us. So because Josh Hawley immediately accepted invitations for media-moderated and hosted TV debates in 2018, I thought — despite our disagreements — Josh and I would at least agree on this. I was wrong.
How'd we get here? Well let me explain…
In recent weeks, we launched TV ads to introduce me and my message to more voters. About the people who supported me growing up, my service, and my mission in this Senate race. No attacks. Just me. Like this one:
Then a supporter got polled…
The poll was filled with entirely false and ludicrous attacks against me, clearly Hawley and his allies testing TV ads to run against me. It was a sign our message is resonating and that Hawley’s public nervousness wasn't just a fundraising fib.
But…
We still thought, as a red-state incumbent, Hawley’s first ads would surely be positive, trying to tout his record. TV debates would likely be our first chance to show voters a contrast, so as we neared our primary victory on Tuesday, we prepared to call for debates.
As the race was called…
Hawley gave us a pleasant surprise — debates starting as early as next week! We asked for at least five on TV to start. Then, stations came together to make the State Fair idea a real debate that could be televised to voters statewide.
But something was off…
Hawley refused to accept the offer from @KSDKNews and @KSHB41 to record and then broadcast the debate from the State Fair in Sedalia — his own idea. And he’s now claiming he'll only accept something "sponsored" by a group that endorsed him.
A quick reminder…
In 2018, Hawley immediately accepted virtually every media debate offer he got. Now, he’s suddenly afraid to do any debates that are actually televised. So what’s changed?
Since 2018…
Josh Hawley spent 6 years in the Senate robbing us of our liberties and tax dollars. Now he’s pledged to launch a “Christian Nationalist” crusade against our freedoms in 2025. And like classic Josh Hawley, when things get tough, he'd rather skitter out the back door:
You might be wondering…
How will Hawley slow our momentum if he won’t even accept an offer for one real debate? Well, first you should know: Our broken system doesn’t just let corporate donors buy elections — it also lets candidates get away with lying.
Here’s why that matters…
Hawley’s campaign just launched a $1,000,000 TV blitz behind this false and absurd attack ad. It's so absurd, it's obvious they even narrowed their lie to “trucks” because they clearly thought “cars” would be too cartoonish to believe!
Josh Hawley never wanted a real televised debate. He never wanted to debate the issues in front of millions of Missourians or to be held accountable for robbing us. He’s just a fraud and a coward — the only thing he wants on TV is clips of him acting tough and false attack ads against me.
This is our chance to take this Senate seat back for real Missourians and end Josh Hawley's crusade against our freedoms.
We can't let him get away with airing $1,000,000 in false attack ads while he skitters away from debates. Please, help me raise $1,000,000 to fight back:
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