Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming is facing criticism from prominent state Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise and Clay Higgins, over a recent video ad that uses artificial intelligence to attack U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow.

Backlash from State Republicans

The ad, which depicts a fake version of Letlow saying she was “appointed” to Congress after the death of her husband, Luke Letlow, has been widely condemned. Fleming has been accused of using the ad to smear Letlow’s memory and has been called on to remove the post and apologize.

Gov. Jeff Landry, U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, and Attorney General Liz Murrill have all publicly criticized Fleming over the video. Higgins gave Fleming an ultimatum to remove the post, divorce himself from those who created the video, and apologize to Letlow and her children.

Fleming has persisted in his attacks on Letlow’s conservative credentials, pointing to her past support for diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. However, the backlash over the ad has put Fleming on the defensive, with many calling for him to change his tactics.

Implications for the Senate Runoff

The controversy surrounding the ad comes as Fleming and Letlow compete for the roughly 97,000 votes incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy received in the primary. Fleming has a long-standing relationship with President Trump and has the endorsements of several local Republican committees, but the criticism from state Republicans may hurt his chances.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.