Clinton super-PAC launches anti-Trump ad campaign

A pro-Hillary Clinton super-PAC is going after Donald Trump’s standing with Latino voters, releasing a series of ads Thursday that compile some of his controversial comments about Hispanics.

The 30-second spot, titled “A Racist Statement,” focuses on Republicans’ reactions to Trump’s remarks regarding federal judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing lawsuits against Trump University. It begins with an interview clip of Trump denying that it was racist to claim Curiel is biased because he is of Mexican descent. Then it flips through a series of Republicans publicly disavowing the attack.

{mosads}It features footage of Sens. Lindsay Graham (S.C.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.), who withdrew his endorsement of Trump over the scandal; Republican commentator Ana Navarro; and the two top-ranking Republicans in Congress: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.), who called the remarks “textbook” racism. 

The ad ends on a black screen with the words, “Donald Trump is wrong for America.”

Curiel, an Indiana-born federal judge with Mexican parents, has been at the center of political debate since last week, when Trump publicly said Curiel could not provide unbiased judgment in a Trump University in light of Trump’s proposals on immigration.

“He’s a Mexican. We’re building a wall between here and Mexico,” Trump said in a recent interview. 

The Curiel scandal has proven unusually difficult to manage for the presumptive Republican nominee. While Trump has built his campaign on unapologetic controversial statements and policies, his opponents have struggled to keep up with the mogul’s media savvy. But the attack on Curiel’s heritage has given Democrats ammo to use against down-ballot GOP candidates and court Hispanic voters. 

Luis Miranda, head of communications for the Democratic National Committee, said Wednesday Democrats will not let Trump escape from his past comments. 

“We’re gonna make it stick. It’s not up to him,” Democratic operative Maria Cardona said at a forum on Latino voters organized by Florida International University in Washington.

A second 30-second spot by Priorities USA, “The Choice is Ours,” recalls Trump’s inaugural campaign speech in June, and his oft-quoted remark that Mexican immigrants “bring crime” and are “rapists.” 

The ad plays the words over images of a traditional family at the dinner table, interspersed with Clinton delivering messages such as, “We need to show humanity with respect for people who are working and contributing right now.”

“We’re going to have a deportation force,” Trump is heard saying. 

The PAC also released two 15-second ads, one using words from Clinton and another playing Trump’s “they’re rapists,” quote over images of families.

Priorities USA has launched a $90 million ad campaign to run in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Virginia, Politico reported.