(NewsNation) — A Republican candidate for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District is going viral after posing for photos with what critics say is a fake family.
The New York Times was first to report about Derrick Anderson, a former Green Beret in the Army, posting footage of himself with a woman and her three daughters on his official YouTube page and on a website paid for by the National Republican Campaign Committee. This footage was not used in a specific ad, the Times wrote.
Democrat Eugene Vindman, who is running against Anderson, ran an ad calling Anderson out for this, saying that “he’s trying to hide that he’s another extreme MAGA politician” using a “fake wife and kids.”
Anderson is not married and does not have children, but he announced earlier this year that he’s engaged.
On “NewsNation Now” Thursday, Anderson said it’s “pretty unbelievable” that his opponent is focused on what he called “B-roll footage that every single candidate in the nation takes.”
The people in the picture, Anderson said, are good friends of his. He served with the woman in them and her husband in the military.
“This is the kind of stuff that my opponent is focused on because it’s a distraction” from the issues, Anderson said, also mentioning allegations that he didn’t tell the truth about his military background.
Both candidates have been accused of inauthenticity, The Washington Post writes. Vindman has fielded questions over his military rank and combat record, while Anderson faces allegations he does not live in the 7th District.
“We are five days away from an election, and we’re talking about this rather than the issues,” Anderson said.
