The progressive 'Latino Victory Fund' (LVF) released a new ad Monday which depicts supporters of Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie as Confederacy-supporting, truck-driving racist murderers who attack minority children.
"In a desperate attempt to become Virginia’s next governor, Ed Gillespie has eagerly embraced racism and xenophobia," the group tweeted Monday morning. "We refuse to stand by as Gillespie slanders our families and portrays our community as thugs, criminals, and gang members."
The LVF says its aim is to build "Latino political power by electing progressive Latino candidates to all levels of government."
The ad, titled "American Nightmare," shows a large pick-up truck with a Gillespie campaign sticker, a 'Don't Tread On Me' front license plate, and a huge Confederate flag on the back, chasing down a group of minority children, including a Muslim girl wearing a hijab, an African-American boy, and two young Latinos.
"Is this what Donald Trump and Ed Gillespie mean by 'the American dream?'" the ad voiceover asks, before telling voters to "reject hate" in the November 7 Virginia election.
The Latino Victory Fund spent Monday morning retweeting justifications for the imagery used in the ad:
uh, one campaign is running with “immigrants will kill you and the confederacy was good,” the other is saying “no, they are bad” https://t.co/j5Je6EhI4g
— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) October 29, 2017
Anyone debating @LatinoVictoryus ad hasn't talked to an elementary teacher in an immigrant neighborhood this year.https://t.co/77b28dghbP
— Alida Garcia (@leedsgarcia) October 30, 2017
Disgusting. Gillespie has GOT to go. https://t.co/RRY2gl0Lv1
— Amilcar Guzman (@AmilcarGuzman1) October 30, 2017
We refuse to stand by while Gillespie calls our community criminals. Watch this from @latinovictoryus-> https://t.co/Pz10VSn20v
— Francisco J. Pelayo (@FranPelayo) October 30, 2017
A version of the ad was also released in Spanish:
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