Siblings of rightist US congressman in TV ad: Don't vote for our brother

Six siblings of an incumbent Republican congressman in the US state of Arizona have appeared in a televised political advertisement to urge voters against voting for their brother, who is an ultra-rightist that backs controversial policies of US President Donald Trump.

The ad featuring younger brothers and sisters of Representative Paul Gosar – Grace, David, Jennifer, Tim, Joan and Gaston -- was unveiled Friday by his Democratic challenger David Brill, insisting that their brother is “not working for his district.”

“He’s not listening to you and he doesn’t have your interests at heart,” said one of the lawmaker’s siblings during the ad before identifying himself: “Paul Gosar’s my brother… and I support Dr. Brill.”

According to local newspaper The Phoenix New Times, the ad is one of several featuring some of the right-wing congressman’s estranged brothers and sisters speaking against him in harsh terms.

"It would be difficult to see my brother as anything but a racist,” says the congressman’s sister, Grace, in another ad as quoted by the daily.

Another sibling, David Gosar, further told the newspaper that they didn’t want to publicly oppose their eldest brother but felt they had no choice given his hard-core views on immigrants.

According to local press reports, Gosar has a long history of controversial remarks and actions. In July, he spoke at a London rally for an anti-Muslim activist. He is also one of the staunchest opponents of legal rights for undocumented "Dreamers" in Congress.

He also promoted the conspiracy theory that the infamous white supremacists' rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year was a plot by the left financed by Jewish Democratic billionaire and mega-donor George Soros, who Gosar said "turned in his own people to the Nazis."

Reacting to the ad, the US legislator was cited in a CNN report on Saturday as saying that the siblings featured in the ad are "liberal Democrats who hate President Trump."

"These disgruntled Hillary suppporters (sic) are related by blood to me but like leftists everywhere, they put political ideology before family. Lenin, Mao and Kim Jung (sic) Un would be proud," Gosar further stated.

He then complained that, "You can't pick your family. We all have crazy aunts and relatives etc and my family is no different. I hope they find peace in their hearts and let go all the hate. To the six angry Democrat Gosars -- see you at Mom and Dad's house!"

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