US election candidate brandishes gun and balaclava as he jokes about the IRA
A Republican candidate has come under fire in Texas after posting a video of himself wielding an assault rifle and joking about the IRA. The 2023 video unearthed by The Daily Beast is of Brandon Herrera, a YouTuber-turned-politician who is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales in this week's primary.
In the video titled “The AR-180: The IRA's Lucky Charm,” Mr. Herrera wears a balaclava and wields the AR-180 while making jokes about the IRA and the British. He posted the video on YouTube on St. Patrick's Day 2023. “I'm not making this video because I like the IRA or because I support them,” he continued. “I'm making this video because I f****** I hate the British, I'm just kidding, mostly,” Herrera said.