​Republican 'don't be weak and gay' campaign ad backfires, causing HILARIOUS reactions

Republican campaign ads are usually full of guns, American Flags, and screeching bald eagles, but one conservative politician decided to add in *check notes* homophobia.

On May 12, Valentina Gomez, a Republican running for Missouri secretary of state, posted a bizarre campaign video on X (formerly Twitter) showing her jogging down the middle of a street wearing a weighted vest while she says a line that has the whole internet roasting her.

“In America, you can be anything you want,” Gomez says while running. “So don’t be weak and gay. Stay f—ing hard.”

Then, the video, which feels more like a fake Saturday Night Live ad than something a real politician would make, ends with a still image of the 25-year-old Colombian immigrant and real estate investor smiling at the camera while holding a giant gun. And because she clearly thought it was necessary to hit all of the Republican cliches in a single video, there is also a pickup truck and an American flag behind her. This shouldn't be surprising, considering she once made a similar video that featured her setting LGBTQ+ books on fire with a flamethrower.

The video has gone viral on social media — at the time of this writing, it has already been viewed 4.3 million times on X — and prompted a deluge of reactions, ranging from people like lesbian tennis star Martina Navratilova calling it “homophobic” to clever parodies and hilarious jokes.

Even fellow politicians were commenting on the video. Out lesbian Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt) took to X to make light of the ridiculous campaign ad, writing, “Not weak, just gay,” alongside the painting nails emoji.

“So refreshing to see a female GOP candidate who never served in the military doing the whole veteran cosplay, stolen valor, bigotry as a substitute for strength routine as well as any man,” former Secretary of State Jason Kander wrote on X.

But our favorite responses may be from people who took the time to create parody videos. Drag queen and activist Pattie Gonia made a parody campaign commercial featuring her jogging through a park, saying, “In America, you can be anything you want. So don’t be weak, be gay, and stay f—ing hard.”

Comedian Britt Migs made a similar parody where she says, “In America, you can be anything you want, so don’t be weak and straight. Stay f—ing gay,” and then end with a photo of her holding a dildo that has been blurred in place of the gun Gomez wields in the original video.

In a statement, instead of apologizing for her demeaning video that equates gayness with weakness, she doubled down and pledged allegiance to former President Donald Trump. “President Trump and I are leading the charge to take our country back from the weak and gay Biden administration that has destroyed our country,” she said, reports NBC News. “I look forward to accepting his endorsement so I can ensure a free and fair election to the people of Missouri, where dead people and illegals will never be voting.”

The news cycle during an election cycle can be harrowing, so you have to stop and appreciate the comedy wherever you can find it.

Keep scrolling to see more hilarious social media reactions!