Minnesota Senate Candidate Puts Out a Literal Raging Dumpster Fire in Wild Campaign Ad

Richard Painter, a candidate for U.S. Senate from Minnesota, is pretty spot on about the state of American politics in his first campaign ad, which he released Sunday night.

His video is nothing like the usual campaign ads that show candidates shaking hands with a diverse group of people, paired with a voice-over and moving soundtrack, but instead begins with a tight shot of Painter standing in front of an actual raging dumpster fire.

“Some people see a dumpster fire and do nothing but watch the spectacle.” Painter says in the ad. “Some are too scared to face the danger, or they think it will benefit them if they let it keep on burning.”

And then, my personal favorite line: “Others shrug and say, ‘Oh, all this talk about dumpster fire, it’s just fake news.’”

His kicker? “There is an inferno raging in Washington. But here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we know how to put out a fire,” Painter says.

A cascade of digitally enhanced water falls from above, extinguishing the flames. And scene.

Painter, a vocal Trump critic and former ethics lawyer under George W. Bush, is running as a Democrat, but was a Republican up until late April. He switched parties just in time for the Senate race after he said he was unable to settle his differences with the Republican party. So while this is absolutely a long-shot bid, at least the content is good.