US Republican Candidate Poses With Friend's Wife, Daughters For Campaign Ad

As the highly anticipated US polls are approaching, candidates across parties are gearing up to bag as many votes as possible using unique campaign strategies. One Republican candidate went as far as borrowing his friend's wife and children to pose for what seems like a family photo.

Derrick Anderson, an army veteran and a Republican Party candidate running for an open seat in Virginia's seventh district, posted a video which featured a typical 'family photo' of him with a woman and three girls, reported The New York Times. However, the woman and the three girls in the deceptive photo are unrelated to Mr Anderson, who is unmarried and lives with his dog, says his campaign website. In another shot, Mr Anderson can be seen sitting on a dining table with the same woman and the girls. 

Mr Anderson's campaign later clarified that the woman and girls in the photo are actually the wife and daughters of his friend. He is engaged and has posted videos on social media with his fiancee in the past. 

The republican candidate has, however, drawn flak from several social media users for the photos, now in wide circulation on social media. Eugene Vindman, his democratic opponent from the seat, was quick to call him out. "Derrick Anderson invented a fake family so that voters in Virginia's 7th would like him," said Mr Vindman in a post on X. 

In another post, Mr Vindman said, "The definition of MAGA "family values" now includes borrowing a wife and kids for a political ad thanks to Derrick Anderson. If Derrick deceives you about his family, how can we trust him to stand up to his own party on Project 2025?"

Mr Anderson's spokesperson however said that "Derrick's opponent and every other candidate in America are in similar pictures and video with supporters of all kinds" when approached by the NYT for a reaction. He also said that the video showed Mr Anderson with "female friends and supporters", according to the NYT.