NBC backtracks, will no longer air controversial Trump ad

“After further review we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible,” an NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement. 

NEW NBC statement regarding the Trump immigration ad:

“After further review we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible.” – NBCUniversal Spokesperson.

— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) November 5, 2018

The 30-second ad that aired on NBC was a shorter version of the one Trump tweeted last week that partly focused on Luis Bracamontes, a deported Mexican immigrant who returned to the U.S. and bragged in court about killing police officers.

The new ad transitions from Bracamontes to the group of Central Americans traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

{mosads}”America cannot allow this invasion,” a narrator states. “The migrant caravan must be stopped. President Trump and his allies will protect our border and keep our families safe.

“Stop the caravan. Vote Republican,” the ad concludes. 

CNN said Saturday that it chose not to run the advertisement because it was “abundantly clear” that the message in it was “racist.” 

CNN has made it abundantly clear in its editorial coverage that this ad is racist. When presented with an opportunity to be paid to take a version of this ad, we declined. Those are the facts.

— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 3, 2018

“When presented with an opportunity to be paid to take a version of this ad, we declined,” CNN said in a statement. “Those are the facts.

The comment from CNN came in response to criticism it received from the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. 

Trump has escalated his rhetoric regarding immigration in the lead-up to the midterm elections. He’s increasingly made immigration-related subjects a focal part of his campaign speeches and has gone so far as to call the migrant caravan an “invasion.”

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) privately asked Trump to focus on the economy in the final hours before Election Day, according to Politico. However, Trump reportedly responded that his focus on immigration was firing up his base.