Kris Kobach fires back at criticism over machine-gun stunt

Kris Kobach wants Kansas voters to know he loves guns.

The secretary of state and gubernatorial candidate for the Sunflower State rode in Saturday’s Old Shawnee Days parade in a jeep outfitted with a mounted replica of a machine gun and two days later sent out a fundraising email blasting liberal “snowflakes” who took issue with the display.

“Within seconds of the parade being over, liberals started losing their minds,” the email stated, according to the Kansas City Star. “But the fact is, the only reason why these ‘tolerant’ left snowflakes get so upset over even the sight of me is because they know I will not back down in my defense of the Second Amendment.”

After some families complained that the sight of the machine gun had frightened their children, the city of Shawnee issued an apology for allowing the inclusion of the prop.

“Please know that the safety of our residents is always our highest priority, and we apologize if this made anyone feel unsafe or unsettled,” a statement from the city said.

Kobach, former head of President Trump’s voter fraud commission who was himself found in contempt of court for disobeying an order to inform thousands of Kansas citizens that they were registered to vote in 2016, stuck to his guns, so to speak, and has sought to use the controversy to boost his candidacy with conservatives.

Kobach is locked in a tight primary race with incumbent Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer. Voters head to the polls on Aug. 7.

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