Trump’s Latest Ad: Love It or Hate It
On Thursday, (November 1) President Donald Trump found himself in the cross‑hairs of critics after his campaign aired a new political spot that pairs Democrats, migrants and alleged violence in a recipe that rattles some folks—especially a good chunk of the GOP.
What’s in the Ad?
- Footage of Luis Bracamontes (an illegal Mexican immigrant convicted in 2014 for the killings of two Sacramento police officers) rattling about killing more cops – all in heavily accented English.
- Cuts to scenes of migrants—think the caravan of up to 3,000 Central‑American folks heading toward the U.S. border.
- Question that reads: “Who else would Democrats let in?” (later tweeted by Trump on Wednesday).
- Finishes with the tagline: “President Donald J. Trump and Republicans are making America Safe Again!” – a twist on the famed “Make America Great Again.”
Backlash Is Tight‑fisted
In a tweet that felt like a punch to the gut, former Florida Republican leader Al Cardenas slammed the ad, calling it “sickening” and “the most racially divisive political ad in three decades.” He added a personal jab: “This ad will condemn you and your bigoted legacy forever in the annals of America’s history books.”
U.S. Senator Jeff Flake joined the chorus, saying, “This is a sickening ad. Republicans everywhere should denounce it.” He took the camel back out of the campaign’s slogans, bookending the spot with fear‑mongering flickers.
Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, blasted the ad as a distracting and divisive example of “Donald at his worst.” He described it as pure fear‑mongering, and compared it cheerfully (yet with dread) to the infamous Willie Horton ad from 1988.
Why The Caravan Is the Hot Ticket
Trump’s hard‑line stance on immigration lines up the agenda neatly with the caravan—a massive show of Central Americans moving south of Mexico toward the border. The campaign wants to drum up GOP voters in the upcoming congressional races.
Current polls indicate the Democrats have the best shot at winning the 23 seats they need for a House majority, possibly stalling any presidential agenda. Meanwhile, the Senate looks more likely to stay Republican, giving the GOP a fighting chance to keep that house under their wing.
Flashback: Bracamontes and Trump
This is not the first time the President’s team has leveraged Bracamontes. A January clip featuring the same convict surfaced around the 2017 inauguration anniversary—an early hint of the pattern.
Bottom Line
In a landscape where every media clip can turn into a headline, this one seems poised to stack up controversy with one leg from the “wave of fear” to the other side of the “Misleading tactics” pile. While political strategists might say it’s a high‑risk high‑reward move, the backlash suggests the ad might be looking at a soundtrack that starts with “fist in the face” and ends with a clap—if you’re a partisan follower.
