Full Breakdown
Marsha Blackburn Uses Fortune-Cookie Ad to Signal Anti-China Gubernatorial Platform
7/11/2026, 12:54:55 AM
Launch of a Symbolic Campaign Ad
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) opened her Tennessee gubernatorial campaign with a televised ad in which she physically crushed Chinese-style fortune cookies. The video, posted on X on a Wednesday, features Blackburn seated amid takeout boxes and lanterns, declaring, “How hard am I gonna crack down on China? Well, here’s a clue.” She follows the visual gag with the promise to “stop Communist China and protect Tennessee land.” The ad concludes with a gong sound and an image of a maneki-neko figurine.
Legislative Background on Foreign Land Ownership
Blackburn’s anti-China message builds on a 2023 Tennessee law that bars foreign governments sanctioned by the United States from purchasing agricultural land. The law was prompted by the acquisition of roughly 500 acres by Walton Tennessee LLC, described as a “shell company” with no significant assets, near the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base. Loudon County Mayor Buddy Bradshaw highlighted the size of the tract, noting it was “not like it’s half-acre lots, we’re looking at a 500-acre tract of some pretty good real estate.”
Scale of Chinese Land Holdings in the United States
Nationwide, holdings by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have surged, rising more than 5,300 % from 2010 to 2020. The CCP now owns 352,140 acres of U.S. land valued at $1.9 billion. In Tennessee, Walton Tennessee has sold over 100 parcels for as little as $10 to foreign entities in recent years.
Official Statements & Campaign Promises
Blackburn pledges to work with the Trump administration to tighten loopholes and “hunt down every adversary who tries to get a foothold” in the state. While President Donald Trump has not formally endorsed any candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary, his campaign-style ads continue to feature clips praising Blackburn. The senator frames Tennessee as “America’s conservative leader” that will confront perceived Chinese incursions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “How hard am I gonna crack down on China? Well, here’s a clue,” — Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator
- “It doesn’t take a fortune cookie to figure it out: here in Tennessee we’re going to stop Communist China and protect Tennessee land.” — Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator
- “As I’ve said from the beginning, Tennessee should be America’s conservative leader, and one of the places that we can — and should — lead is in showing the rest of America how to stand up to and confront Communist China,” — Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator
- “A narrator’s voice read, “Marsha Blackburn worked with President [Donald] Trump to take on Communist China.” — Narrator in campaign ad
