Oliver targets Texas candidate's gun video

John Oliver criticized Republican U.S. House candidate Brandon Herrera on Monday for a video in which he reviews a German World War II-era MP 40 submachine gun. The clip, posted to Herrera's YouTube channel, features the candidate describing the firearm as the 'original ghetto blaster' and 'Hitler's stress sweeper.' Oliver, host of the HBO show Last Week Tonight, argued that the footage illustrates a growing comfort within the Republican Party regarding content he described as Nazi-adjacent.

The controversy centers on a segment where Herrera and an associate perform a goose-step march. This style of marching is heavily associated with the Nazi era and was abolished in Germany during the 1990 reunification. Herrera, who markets himself to followers as the 'AK Guy,' maintains a YouTube channel with more than 4.3 million subscribers. The channel primarily features reviews of various firearms.

This is not the first time Herrera has faced scrutiny over his online persona and public remarks. The candidate previously disclosed on his podcast that he owns an original copy of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. He has also drawn criticism for specific comments, including degrading remarks about overweight women, jokes regarding veteran suicides, and a reference to children as 'cum trophies.' These incidents have contributed to a pattern of provocative content that has drawn attention from both supporters and critics.

Herrera is currently competing in a contested midterm race for Texas' 23rd District. His opponent, Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, is a former public school teacher. Stout's campaign has emphasized the shortcomings of Gov. Greg Abbott's voucher program and the state's affordability crisis. She has also specifically pointed to a video in which Herrera fires bullets into cutouts of children. The filming location for that clip was near the site of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, a town within the district.

Voters in the district can cast ballots in the early voting period, which continues through Oct. 30. Polling locations will reopen on Election Day, Nov. 3. The Bexar County Elections Department maintains a website with current information on polling hours and locations for those wishing to vote.