Trump releases first general election ad, focused on immigration
Donald Trump released his first TV ad of the general election cycle on Friday.
The ad, called "Two Americas: Immigration," will play in four key battleground states where Trump needs to make up ground against Hillary Clinton.
"In Hillary Clinton’s America, the system stays rigged against Americans," the ad's narrator says. "Syrian refugees flood in. Illegal immigrants convicted of committing crime get to stay — collecting Social Security benefits, skipping the line. Our border open. It’s more of the same but worse."
"Donald Trump’s America is secure," the ad continues. "Terrorists and dangerous criminals kept out, the border secure, our families safe. Change that makes America safe again, Donald Trump for president."
A statement released by the campaign said the ad presents a sharp contrast between the two candidates on the volatile issue.
"The new ad provides a stark comparison between Hillary Clinton’s reality in which Americans are victims of the rigged system in Washington that compromises our borders, jeopardizes our jobs, and flouts our laws, and Mr. Trump’s vision for our country, in which we secure our borders and put American jobs and safety first," the statement said.
The $4.8 million ad buy will air in Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida. Trump is behind Clinton in all of those states in recent polling. The campaign had not yet purchased ads in Virginia, another battleground state. A Washington Post poll earlier this week had Clinton 14 percentage points ahead there.
Hillary Clinton's campaign released a statement on the ad, which Deputy Communications Director Christina Reynolds called "misleading."
“No misleading ad can change the fact that Hillary Clinton is the only candidate with the experience and judgment to lead the country and keep our families safe," Reynolds said.
And shortly after the ad was released, Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon fired off a tweet accusing Trump of “demonizing immigrants.”
On Thursday night, Trump expressed “regret” over certain things he has said “in the heat of debate.”
"Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing," he told supporters. "I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it. And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues."