Mastriano also took part in an interview with Gab CEO Andrew Torba, where he told him, “Thank God for what you’ve done.”
In one of Shapiro’s commercials, a narrator describes Gab as a “white supremacist website” where “minutes before Jews were to be killed in this synagogue, the murderer published his hate-filled plan”. The spot highlights Mastriano’s payment to Gab.
Another Shapiro ad features television reports on the controversy, with one anchor saying that “elected leaders and members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community are speaking out against gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano’s ties to a controversial social media site.”
After facing mounting criticism over his ties to Gab, including from some GOP members, Mastriano said in a statement that Torba “does not speak for me” and that “I reject anti-Semitism in any way.” its forms”. He also appears to have deleted his account on the site.
Previously, Torba has made anti-Semitic remarks and said that his “policy is not to conduct interviews with journalists who are not Christians or with media outlets that are not Christians, and Doug has a very similar media strategy where he does not do interviews with these people. ”
Republican leaders in the state largely backed Mastriano amid the controversy and argued he had settled the matter with his statement denouncing anti-Semitism.
Shapiro’s new ads are part of his campaign’s longstanding efforts to portray Mastriano as extreme. Her other ads have said that Mastriano is too conservative on abortion.
Mastriano, who has struggled to raise funds, did not air any television advertisements during the general election. Shapiro’s lead in the polls grew as Mastriano handed him the airwaves.
Shapiro’s two TV spots on Gab will begin airing on Sunday. His campaign bought extra spots in the Pittsburgh area, the site of the Tree of Life filming.
