'Just cringe': GOPer's campaign video panned even by conservative pundit
A Republican lawmaker’s new campaign video has startled a congressional reporter, a Fox News pundit, and hoards of X subscribers who compare it to “night terrors,” “acid trips,” and an appropriate reflection on the current state of the House of Representatives.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) Monday dropped on X a video that appears to be in support of his candidacy for Conference Vice Chair.
“This is my team,” Collins declares in introductory text that includes movie clips of Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling and the late Heath Ledger (who can be seen being head-slammed by a Batman with Collins’ face superimposed over Christian Bale’s.)
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman dubbed the video, “one of the strangest things I’ve seen in a leadership race.”
Replied Fox News guest writer C.J. Pearson, “The tweets were funny. This is just cringe.”
Pearson is most likely referring to memes sent out by the conservative lawmaker during the chaotic race to choose a new House speaker which earned him a hat tip from the liberal magazine “New Republic” as “the Republican Troll We Need.”
On Monday, Collins tried to capitalize on the good press with a near 3-minute video that splices big name Republicans into footage of big box office movies with techno music playing in the background.
“I need something,” John Wick requests. Cut to: Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) flashing guns and large-capacity magazines at a House hearing in 2022.
Underneath the Federal Bureau of Investigations seal, viewers see Batman slam The Joker’s head into a table during in “The Dark Knight.”
The movie wraps up with footage of Speaker Mike Johnson, seen earlier in the video giving the camera a saucy wink, smiling as fellow Republicans boo the reporter who asked about if he’d helped overturn a presidential election.
The video quickly went viral and garnered nearly 200,000 views in under two hours.
The feedback was, like the video, a mixed bag.
“Watching this was like a bad acid trip...or so I'm told,” wrote @WebTacticsInc.
“This falls somewhere in the realm of fever dream or night terror,” added @elmax21. “This is so bad for the country.”
Jennifer Zilla disagreed, writing, “I like Mike Collins because he takes Congress exactly as seriously as it deserves.”
This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. to specify C.J. Pearson's work with Fox News. He has appeared as a guest and has written opinion pieces for their website.