The conservative group Missouri Rising Action released an ad Friday saying Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) has "gone Hollywood," just as the senator is slated to attend a fundraiser in Beverly Hills this weekend.
The Sunday fundraiser will bring McCaskill to the West Coast to meet with former President Barack Obama, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and others. The 30-second digital spot highlights ways McCaskill’s lifestyle and values reflect those of celebrities, asking whether she represents the interests of Missourians.
"Hollywood is bankrolling McCaskill because McCaskill supports their extreme agenda," the ad’s narrator says. "Gun grabs, taxpayer-funded abortion, even rejecting the legitimacy of Donald Trump's presidency. If Hollywood stands with McCaskill, how can McCaskill stand with Missouri?"
McCaskill has consistently supported gun control measures, including the assault weapons ban, earning her an "F" rating from the National Rifle Association. She voted to table legislation to prevent taxpayer funds from going to abortion in 2009, and she opposed Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R., Ark.) amendment asking that abortion not be considered "preventive care" in health care plans.
Her "rejecting the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s presidency" refers to a report in the book Russian Roulette by David Corn and Michael Isikoff that McCaskill blamed "fucking Russians" for Trump’s win.
The ad also targets McCaskill’s use of a private jet, her $2.7 million condominium in Washington, D.C., and her 7,000-square-foot home in Missouri.
Brian Rogers, executive director of Missouri Rising Action, said McCaskill has lost touch with Missouri during her time in Washington, a reality he said is reflected in her falling poll numbers.
"Nothing demonstrates how out-of-touch and out-of-step Claire McCaskill has grown during her 12 years in Washington quite like her starring role in a Hollywood fundraiser this weekend," Rogers said.
McCaskill herself has tried to hedge against the Democratic Party’s focus on opposing Trump, which does not play as well in states that voted for the president. She said the DNC’s lawsuit accusing Trump of conspiring with Russia is a "silly distraction," and she is one of many Democrats in swing states expressing frustration with aspects of the party’s agenda.