The NBC and Fox television networks will stop running a Trump election ad that appears to show an illegal immigrant bragging about murdering two California sheriff’s deputies in 2014.
NBC says the ad has an “insensitive nature” while Fox says it is “under review.”
Facebook is also pulling the ad, calling it a violation of its advertising policy against “sensational content.”
CNN television had earlier rejected it outright, calling the ad “racist.”
NBC ran the commercial during its broadcast of Sunday Night Football — one of television’s highest-rated shows — and was almost immediately inundated with social media complaints.
The pro-Republican ad shows convicted killer Luis Bracamontes sitting in a courtroom, apparently saying he regrets murdering only two policemen.
The words “Democrats let him into the country” and “Democrats let him stay” flash on the screen. An announcer warns voters about the Central American migrant caravan and urges them to vote Republican, saying “America cannot allow this invasion.”
Bracamontes first entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 1996 when Democrat Bill Clinton was president. He was arrested on drug charges, and deported the following year.
But reentered the U.S. several more times, including when Republican George W. Bush was president.
Bracamontes was also released from jail by Arizona’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio — a huge Trump supporter who is known for being tough on immigrants.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted that by dropping the ad, NBC, CNN, and Facebook have chosen “to stand with those ILLEGALLY IN THIS COUNTRY.” He accused them of trying to control what people see and think.
He did not mention Fox, whose cable news operation is generally favorable toward Trump.
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