No, Missouri senate candidate Lucas Kunce does not want to ban pickup trucks

A new ad from Republican Sen. Josh Hawley claims his Democratic opponent wants to ban pickup trucks. This is a lie.

Hawley has represented Missouri in the U.S. Senate since 2019. He is currently running for a second term. His Democratic challenger is attorney and veteran Lucas Kunce.

The ad, titled “Trucks,” is currently airing across Missouri. In it, a voiceover claims that 65% of Missourians drive pickup trucks before accusing Kunce of wanting to ban gas and diesel vehicles, presumably in favor of hybrid and electric alternatives.

“Kunce is running for the U.S. Senate on a radical environmental platform to outlaw gas and diesel pickup trucks,” the voiceover states. “It’s nuts, but it’s Kunce.”

Hawley has made similar claims about Kunce in speeches and social media posts.

The ad does not cite any sources to support these claims. In a review of Kunce’s past statements and policy positions there was no example of him backing a ban on gas or diesel vehicles. 

Kunce has called for curbing emissions, advancing energy independence, and increasing oversight of oil companies. In almost every example, Kunce has stressed the continuation of oil and gas production as a part of his approach. 

In a 2022 interview, Kunce laid out a multi-pronged plan that incorporated all of these elements.

“The first thing we’re going to do is if you drill oil in America, it stays in America,” Kunce said. “It goes towards our energy needs and we keep it with Americans. The second thing is to cap [oil] profits at 5%. Any profits over 5% we’re going to put towards investing in the next generation of energy technology.”

In May, Kunce’s campaign was endorsed by the United Auto Workers. The union represents more than 100,000 current and retired autoworkers in Missouri. Approximately 4,000 of these individuals are employed by a Ford-owned plant that produces F-150 pickup trucks. 

In response to Hawley’s ad, Kunce shared photos of himself with a pickup truck he owned and a transport pickup truck he used while serving in Afghanistan. 

Hawley leads Kunce in most polls, but Kunce has consistently beat Hawley in fundraising. This has led some to speculate that the race may be more competitive than polls suggest.

Kunce told Fox News on August 24 that Hawley’s baseless attacks are proof that he is worried about his election prospects.

“I’ve never said I’m going to outlaw or ban anything,” Kunce said, “that’s one of those things that politicians like to say when they’re worried.”

A Halwey spokesperson did not respond to questions for this story.