The race for the 8th Congressional District goes to television.
Jim Bognet, a former Trump administration appointee, released his first television ad of the Republican primary race. The 30 second spot, “Make China Pay,” is a video recorded by Bognet from his iPhone of him at his family’s construction business that has been impacted by restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the ad, he said that he knows his family’s business will get through this, but vows to make China “pay” for their role in the virus’s outbreak in the United States.
“Three weeks ago here in Hazleton, my family’s construction business was booming,” Bognet said to begin the ad. “Now, it’s empty.”
“The Chinese lied to us,” he continues later in the spot. “They tried to cover up coronavirus.”
“When I’m your Congressman, we’ll make China pay for the lies they told, the jobs they stole, and the lives we’ve lost,” he said towards the end of the ad. “I’m with President Donald Trump, we will make America Great Again.”
In an interview with PoliticsPA about the ad, Bognet said that he felt “strongly” that he had to go on the record about his thoughts on how he believes that China needs to be held responsible by the United States for the coronavirus pandemic.
“I wanted to speak from the heart about what was going on,” Bognet said to PoliticsPA. “I wasn’t very worried about cinematography, what I was worried about was speaking to the voters about what I think China’s done to us and how we can make China pay for it.”
The television ad, which debuted on cable on April 15, will air for the foreseeable future, according to the Bognet campaign. A source close to the campaign said that the ad will be going on broadcast in the next few days.
The ad buy is in the five-figures.
Bognet is one of six Republicans seeking their party’s nomination for the 8th Congressional District along with Mike Cammisa, Earl Granville, Teddy Daniels, Luzerne County Councilman Harry Haas, and former Hazleton Mayor Mike Marsicano.
The seat is held by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna), who is currently serving his fourth term in Congress in Northeast Pennsylvania.
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14 Responses
Is there an actual plan, or are you just gonna toss our platitudes?
Making China pay for Covid damages is like making the Mexicans pay for the wall.
Bognet is just another Trump chump using his masters division tactics to appeal to the gullible sucker voter. NE Pennsylvania has the Trump virus as much as covid-19. Most of the Republican candidates for the 8th district show these symptoms.
If all the R’s in the race like the POTUS ok, whatever, but they also have to be their own men. Bognet has not offered A SINGLE ORIGINAL IDEA! You can’t just run as a Trump wannabe. Plus, Bognet doesn’t have any charisma. Listening to him talk is like watching paint dry.
Republicans always look for a scapegoat. Next he’ll blame Nancy Pelosi.
Make China pay because we did not stockpile adequate numbers of protective wear and did not remain vigilant about planning for a Pandemic. Let’s stop the scapegoating. And trying to shift blame. Of course, China did not do a good job being straight with the world about the pandemic but our leadership totally dropped the ball with all the warnings given about the looming pandemic. We failed to keep a stockpile protective wear and did not react to the warnings about the pandemic quickly enough. The bottom line is this: the current Administration is on the ballot and not China. This is not good news for the Administration as people stand in line wearing masks at the grocery store and can’t buy anything with the word “disinfectant” on it because it is all sold out. Again, the proof is in the pudding and since China is not on the ballot and the Administration is we will see the voters go Dem in Pa this cycle. Just my prediction. We shall see.
Agree, but the Wolf Administration’s failure to create a plan beyond locking people down is going to wear on voters as well.
This Bognet fool probably thinks China is paying the Trump tariffs. How is he planning to “make China pay” now? SMH
There needs to be an open and transparent full investigation of this when it is all over. The investigation MUST include China and its role, but even more important – the role Trump played in downplaying and covering up the threat AND, TRUMP ignoring his responsibilities to read his daily intelligence briefings. You just know he was sitting on the toilet tweeting or calling Fox and Friends to get fawned over rather than concentrating on the vital intelligence briefings. Or worse yet, planning his next Trump rally or golf outing at Mar A Largo. He was derelict in fulfilling his duty as POTUS. Now, can we really expect this admitted Trump loyalist Bognet to honestly hold Trump responsible??????? It really is time in 2020 to drain the swamp….. The TRUMP SWAMP
Bognet isn’t a Trump loyalist. He’s a RINO Mitt Romney lover.
keep believing, fool
Dorky sweater wearing java drinking Mitt Romney loving DC lobbyist Jimmy B “blasting” anyone is really funny. I’m sure they are “so scared” of little Jimmy.
Trump will love this. Smart move to draw the fire away from the Pres.
In a past interview with the Brookings Institution, Bognet said in reference to China (quote) “How is protectionism going to help us?” He rambles on and on with a very different position that this! RINO alert!!!