On July 17, 2019, at a campaign event in Fort Payne, he stated that "homosexual activities" pervasive in mainstream media had partly lead to the nation's moral decline. When asked in a follow-up interview, Merrill pointed to the media coverage of the United States women's national soccer team win in the World Cup as an instance. According to Merrill, there are no longer any television shows "that are based on biblical foundations" which "promote family and culture with a father, a mother, and children" present.