Former Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC) said that he lost the Republican race for U.S. Senate because his primary challenger toted a pistol in his pants in television advertisements.

"I lost a primary two weeks ago to a congressman who had a gun in his front trousers in a commercial," McCrory noted during an interview on Meet the Press.

"In every TV ad," host Chuck Todd observed.

"In every TV ad," McCrory confirmed. "And that was a more powerful message to the constituency voting in that primary. He was tougher; I was weaker. And yet, my record of accomplishment fighting crime is unsurpassed."

"It's not about the gun," Todd offered.

"It's a symbolism," McCrory agreed. "And we've got people right now that don't trust the criminal justice system. We're letting criminals go. You see the DAs in L.A., the DAs in some of these cities where they're letting criminals go after crime after crime after crime and people are going, you know, I'm going to take this into my own hands. I'm going to protect my family and I'm going to protect my own."

"The violence is a cultural problem," he concluded.