Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R), a 2020 Senate candidate, says that Americans are too “preoccupied with homosexual activities” and “the wife swap shows,” ruining everything from TV to the country’s moral direction.

Merrill, one of multiple Republicans looking to challenge Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) made the comments over the weekend at a town hall event in Dekalb County, according to the Yellowhammer News.

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As he took questions from attendees, one asked about the culture shift and how the country’s principles have allegedly been eroded, prompting Merrill to point to what is being shown on TV, among other things.

“How have we allowed it to happen? There are no more good TV shows on like ‘Gunsmoke,’ ‘Bonanza,’ ‘The Virginian,’ ‘Andy Griffith,’ ‘I Love Lucy.’ We don’t have those shows anymore. We’re too interested in homosexual activities,” Merrill said.

“We’re too interested in seeing how this family’s finding a way to mess on this family or to see how people are trying to date on TV, or having wife-swapping on TV. That’s what we watch. When we push back against that, and we quit allowing it to be in our homes — that’s how those changes have occurred because we’ve allowed them to slowly but surely come into our lives,” he said.

Merrill confirmed his comments to Al.com Monday night in a phone interview, though he did not point to specific examples of the “homosexual activities” he was referring to.

“The foundational principles which we have grown up as a nation are no more,” Merrill said.

He said there are no longer TV shows “that are based on biblical foundations. … shows that promote family and culture with a father, a mother and children based on biblical teachings and biblical principles on which our nation was founded."

Merrill is one of five current Republican candidates looking to unseat Jones, who is considered one of next year's most vulnerable senators. The other GOP candidates include former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore Roy Stewart MooreRoy Moore sues Alabama over COVID-19 restrictions Vulnerable Senate Democrat urges unity: 'Not about what side of the aisle we're on' Sessions hits back at Trump days ahead of Alabama Senate runoff MORE, Rep. Bradley Byrne Bradley Roberts ByrneBottom line Jerry Carl wins GOP Alabama runoff to replace Rep. Bradley Byrne Jeff Sessions loses comeback bid in Alabama runoff MORE (Ala.), former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville and state Rep. Arnold Mooney.