Thread: Donald Trump Focuses on Immigration in His First Ad of General Election

Donald Trump Focuses on Immigration in His First Ad of General Election

By NICK CORASANITI AUG. 20, 2016

After months of ceding the airwaves to Hillary Clinton, Donald J. Trumphas returned to broadcast advertising, with his first general election ad of the 2016 campaign. The spot focuses on a familiar issue, the one that has set the tone for his campaign: illegal immigration.

THE AD The ad opens by echoing Mr. Trump’s recent allegation that the general election is “rigged” against him. An image of a voting location quickly flashes on screen as the narrator says “In Hillary Clinton’s America, the system stays rigged against Americans.”

Scenes of marches and arrests in sepia tones suggest a wave of illegal immigrants flooding the United States, as the narrator asserts that Mrs. Clinton would accept 65,000 Syrian refugees and that undocumented migrants who have committed crimes “get to stay, collecting Social Securitybenefits, skipping the line.”

As the narrator describes “Donald Trump’s America,” the scenes turn sharp and bright. Helicopters patrol the border and Americans are protected: “Terrorists and dangerous criminals kept out, the border secure, our families safe.”

THE MESSAGE Illegal immigration, which would be rampant under a President Clinton, threatens national security.

THE TAKEAWAY Amid a shake-up in his campaign staff and a speech admitting regret for some of his more caustic comments, Mr. Trump is pressing his hard-line approach to immigration in an effort to reassure his die-hard supporters that he is committed to the issue while also presenting himself as the stronger candidate on national security issues.

Changing channels ...

Rapid Response

The Clinton campaign released a new ad on Friday, which presents a strong contrast with Mr. Trump’s commercial. The spot is packed with scenes of Mrs. Clinton joyfully interacting with people of all races and ethnicities; a smiling and diverse group of children playing games and attending school; a woman in a cap and gown hugging her family; and a mother holding aloft her young infant. The Clinton campaign emphasized that the ad as represented a “plan to lift Latino working families up,” offering broad platform proposals such as “relief on child care” and a “path to debt-free college.”

Down the Ballot

Mr. Trump’s struggles have put congressional Republicans in a tough position, and many of them have distanced themselves from his candidacy in order to protect their own seats. Outside groups looking to knock out incumbent Republicans are seizing on the tension. Independence USA, a “super PAC” underwritten by former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, released an ad against Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, quoting her saying “I’ve been an independent, strong voice for New Hampshire,” and contrasting it with other “independent Republicans” whom the ad claims said “no to Trump.” Mr. Bloomberg has long been critical of Ms. Ayotte for her votes against gun control measures, running a negative ad through another group he financially supports, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, against her in 2013.

Digital Decency

All broadcast networks hold a right of refusal on political ads, allowing them to keep ads containing any profanity or slurs off the airwaves. The same is also true for digital ads, at least on Facebook, as MoveOn.org found out. An ad from the group that tried to show some of the more vicious comments from the crowd at Trump rallies was rejected by Facebook Ads, which told the group that ads cannot contain any profanity. But the rejection was limited to paid promotions; the group was still able to post the video to its own Facebook page.

Numbers

$21.7 MILLION Amount spent so far by the Clinton campaign and Priorities USA, a super PAC supporting it, in Florida alone
$13.3MILLION Amount spent by the Clinton campaign on national Olympics broadcasts

Donald Trump Focuses on Immigration in His First Ad of General Election

YES!! I am so glad to see his FIRST AD being focused on illegal immigration. This is the issue along with trade that started the campaign. These issues and how Trump plans to address them will SAVE OUR NATION AND CITIZENS from both poverty and peril.

SUPPORT HIM!

HELP HIM!

VOTE FOR DONALD J TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!

the mass immigration and illegal migrants in US have turned her into "Jungle" if americans tax money payers did supply them the whole America would of fall from 18th floor to first floor

Yes, my dear French friend, we are indeed a "jungle". And we must turn our once great nation back into the civilized and successful nation we once were, that our French friends admired, that the world looked up to, and that Americans would lay down their lives for.

Thank you EK for being here and taking an interest in our country. The relationship between the French and American people is long and deep. We value that friendship more than you know.