Top 5 embarrassing Republican stories from July

In a roller coaster month in politics, Republicans have found themselves struggling to combat a wave of momentum from the left as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz now make up the Democratic ticket. At the same time, Heartland Republicans have been at the forefront of several embarrassing stories. Here are five of them.

5. Jay Ashcroft and Bill Eigel’s failed gubernatorial runs in Missouri

Missouri’s gubernatorial race featured a three-way contest on the Republican side between sitting Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, sitting Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel (R-Weldon Spring). Kehoe emerged victorious in the primary election on Tuesday thanks in part to a hefty financial lead and to his opponents’ extreme rhetoric.

During a debate in late July, both Ashcroft and Eigel willingly labeled themselves as Christian nationalists after being given a clear definition of the term.

After being given a clear definition of the term, Missouri GOP gubernatorial candidates Bill Eigel and Jay Ashcroft describe themselves as Christian nationalists.

ASHCROFT: “We were founded as a Christian nation, and we want to keep those guiding principles.” pic.twitter.com/7GrUm0DCi7

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) July 29, 2024

Eigel also took a firm stance in favor of banning books, posting a video of himself using a flamethrower to burn a pile of “woke books” last September.

Ashcroft had a far-right agenda of his own that included using public funds for religious schools and softening Missouri’s election integrity in exchange for thousands in campaign donations.

4. Ron Johnson’s “clear and present danger” snafu

As Republicans took the stage at the Republican National Convention with “unity” a main part of their messaging, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) took a different approach. His speech featured a line calling Democratic policies a “clear and present danger to America.”

NEWS: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told @PBS the wrong version of his speech was loaded into the teleprompter, including this divisive line:

“Today’s Democrat policies … are a clear and present danger to America.” pic.twitter.com/ho9LBDDWiJ

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) July 16, 2024

After receiving harsh criticisms of hypocrisy, Johnson halfheartedly claimed that the wrong version of his speech was loaded into the teleprompter. Johnson has repeatedly backed divisive policies of his own, including denying climate change, cutting Social Security and opposing a same-sex marriage bill. Johnson was also heavily involved with the fake electors scheme to overturn Wisconsin and Michigan’s legitimate election results in 2020.

3. Minnesota state Sen. Calvin Bahr blames women for their own unwanted pregnancies

Minnesota state Sen. Calvin Bahr (R-East Bethel) was caught on audio earlier this year blaming women for their own unwanted pregnancies. In the audio clip, Bahr can be heard defending the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade before saying that it “drives Democrats nuts because ‘what do you mean we can’t go kill our unwanted babies.’ Maybe you should have paid attention a little more. If you’re going to party, you got to pay the consequences.”

HOT MIC: While speaking to a volunteer at a fundraiser in March, Minnesota State Sen. Calvin Bahr (R-East Bethel) blamed women for their own unwanted pregnancies:

“If you’re going to party, you got to pay the consequences.” pic.twitter.com/4pJFLLzG0J

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) July 19, 2024

Despite not having support from Bahr and his Republican colleagues, Minnesota Democrats  quickly worked to enshrine reproductive rights like abortion into state law in 2022. With Democrats in control of both chambers of the state legislature, the bill made its way to Gov. Tim Walz’s (DFL) desk in January 2023, when he signed it into law.

2. Eric Hovde backs raising the retirement age on the grounds that young people will live to be “120 years old”

Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race will feature incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) likely facing multi-millionaire banking mogul from California Eric Hovde. Hovde has made headlines for a variety of negative reasons since announcing his candidacy in March, mostly for insulting several groups of people like single mothers, the elderly in nursing homes and obese people, among others.

In late June, Hovde was recorded at the Outagamie State Fair saying that he wants to raise the Social Security retirement age because young people may be able to “live until 100, 120 with new technologies.”

HOT MIC: Wisconsin GOP Senate hopeful Eric Hovde backs raising the Social Security retirement age because young people could “live until 100, 120 with new technologies that are coming.” pic.twitter.com/6GF5QmY21G

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) July 8, 2024

A poll released by Marquette University on Wednesday showed Baldwin maintains a 53% to 46% lead over Hovde among registered voters in Wisconsin as she seeks her third term in the U.S. Senate.

1. Donald Trump picks JD Vance as his running mate

In a move that is turning into one of the worst vice president decisions in recent memory, former President Donald Trump chose Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate in July. Vance has proven to be extremely unpopular in his first month on the campaign trail, where he spoke alongside people with sexual assault scandals and attempted to fend off criticisms that he is “weird.”

JD Vance responds to the “weird” label:

“I think that the ‘weird’ argument honestly came from a bunch of 24-year-old social media interns who were bullied in school, and they decided they were going to project that onto the entire Trump campaign … I’m a normal guy.” pic.twitter.com/ewyhKKgKvV

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) August 7, 2024

Vance has also been questioned on his previous words for Trump back in 2016, when he called the then-first-time presidential candidate “America’s Hitler.” Even though he had harsh words for Trump before he was president, Vance’s attitude shifted when he needed an endorsement from Trump in his Senate bid in 2022. Less than two years in office later, Vance is now Trump’s running mate.

Vance also has a long history of opposing abortion rights, even calling for a national abortion ban in 2022.

NEW AUDIO: As first reported by @CNN, Trump VP pick Vance said in 2022 that he “would like abortion to be illegal nationally.” pic.twitter.com/q8WGPGjVfj

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) July 17, 2024

While Vance’s popularity is at an all-time low, Vice President Kamala Harris is riding a surge of support that continued when she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Walz has already indicated he is ready to debate Vance.

Tim Walz on JD Vance: “I can’t wait to debate the guy… That is, if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.” pic.twitter.com/stP3AOqVUk

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) August 6, 2024

Vance has accused Walz of being a San Francisco-style liberal, despite Walz signing into law a slew of popular policies like free school meals, paid family and medical leave, recreational marijuana and voting rights expansion. Vance also worked as a venture capitalist and lived in San Francisco for four years.