A new ad from Americans for Prosperity criticizes Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) for misleading voters.
The ad begins by referencing McCaskill’s tour of Missouri in May, which was touted as a down-to-earth RV tour. "Senator McCaskill told Missourians she was going on an RV tour, but then she used her private plane."
Despite McCaskill’s focus on using an RV for a multi-day tour of the state, the Washington Free Beacon reported flight data that showed the senator’s private plane being used during the trip, and the senator subsequently confirmed she used the place to travel between campaign stops.
President Donald Trump attacked McCaskill’s use of a private plane in a tweet, calling her "phony" and giving his "full endorsement" to her opponent Josh Hawley. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also poked fun at the Missouri senator, creating an online game allowing players to "Fly Air Claire" and sending a ground crew to greet her at a campaign event.
"McCaskill said she’d support tax cuts," the ad continues, "then voted against a plan to save families $2,000 and voted to raise taxes by a trillion dollars."
McCaskill opposed the Republican tax reform bill in late 2017.
"Missourians can tell the difference between an RV and a plane, and a politician who says one thing, but does another," the ad concludes.
McCaskill is engaged in a competitive Senate race with Hawley, the presumed GOP challenger and current Missouri attorney general. A Remington Research survey from this month showed Hawley with a two point advantage, but an Axios/Survey Monkey poll gave McCaskill a slight edge.
The Missouri election could prove vital for determining which party controls the Senate after the midterms in November, since the GOP maintains only a slim majority in the chamber.