senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) confronted his Democratic challenger at the Missouri State Fair on Thursday, challenging him to an impromptu debate during an awkward exchange between the two.
In a video posted by Hawley on X, the senator says: “Guys, how are you? Let’s look Lucas Kunce. Let’s look for him. Come on, where was he? I didn’t see him, you saw him? He hasn’t come out of his basement for two weeks, let’s look for him. Where is he? Where is he? Where is he? Where is he?”
When Hawley finds him, he calls out: “Lucas Kunce! Are we going to debate today?”
This is how the further exchange went:
KUNCE: How are you, man?
HAWLEY: Are we going to debate today?
KUNCE: I don’t know what you’re talking about, buddy.
HAWLEY: You don’t know!? I read your bullshit letter to the Farm Bureau. Are you going to sue the Farm Bureau?
KUNCE: Dude, you’re really obsessed with this stuff.
HAWLEY: Come on!
KUNCE: You’re really obsessed with this stuff.
HAWLEY: Come on! Do you want to debate with me today?
KUNCE: You already got the Farm Bureau and the State Fair in trouble, man.
HAWLEY: Let’s go!
The couple continued their argument and Hawley insisted that they debate today.
Kunce has been hiding for two weeks – today I finally found him. And he STILL doesn’t want to debate. But I will be there pic.twitter.com/aRjKIByq5b
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) 15 August 2024
Kunce and Hawley disagree on where and when they will debate. The Farm Bureau, which supports Hawley, has offered to host a debate. Kunce said he would attend such a forum under certain conditions.
Hawley was elected to the Senate in 2018 when he defeated the Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill.
Kunce ran for the Senate to succeed the outgoing Republican Senator Roy Bluntbut lost in the Democratic primaries.
According to RealClearPolitics’ polling average, Hawley has a good chance of keeping his seat, although there haven’t been many polls of that sort lately.
In the most recent poll conducted by Emerson College, Hawley had a 9-point lead (47% to 38%) over Kunce.
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