Groups vying for Democrat Ralph Northam in the Virginia gubernatorial race have released another advertisement linking Republican Ed Gillespie to white supremacist marches in Charlottesville.
Latino Victory, a progressive political organization, released a video ad on Monday that uses Confederate flags, Latino children, and images of white supremacists seemingly intended to stoke racial worry among voters.
The ad shows a pickup truck with a Confederate flag chasing down Latino children in the streets as the children fearfully run away. The end of the ad reveals the chase scene to be one of the children’s nightmares, and accuses Gillespie and President Trump of inciting such fear.
“Is this what Donald Trump and Ed Gillespie mean by the American dream?” the ad asks, showing a video of white supremacists and neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville, VA.
Ed Gillespie and Donald Trump promise the American dream, but can only deliver an American nightmare. No more. Vote @RalphNortham. #GameOnVA pic.twitter.com/mwpWXM47HZ
— Latino Victory (@latinovictoryus) October 30, 2017
Gillespie has repeatedly denounced the groups marching in Charlottesville, calling them “a torch-carrying, shield-bearing white supremacist and neo-Nazi mob” that “essentially invaded Virginia.”
“Having a right to spew vile hate does not make it right,” he said in an official statement. “It is painful to see these ugly events in Charlottesville last night and today. These displays have no place in our Commonwealth, and the mentality on display is rejected by the decent, thoughtful and compassionate fellow Virginians I see every day.”
His rebuke of hate hasn’t stopped Democrats, including Northam’s own campaign, from desperately trying to link Gillespie to hateful groups.
Last week, Northam sent a flyer out with images of Trump and Gillespie superimposed over the marchers in Charlottesville and urged Virginians to “stand up to hate.” (RELATED: VA Dem Advertisement Links Gillespie, Trump To Neo-Nazis)
Shortly thereafter, CNN’s Brian Fallon tweeted a photo of the marchers with the caption, “live look at Ed Gillespie strategy meeting.” Fallon, who served as Hillary Clinton’s campaign spokesman, stood by his tweet, stating that Gillespie “should be ashamed” of his campaign that targets violent gangs like MS-13 and denounces giving felons the right to vote. Fallon called the campaign rhetoric a “vile and pathetic attempt to appeal to the [Stephen] Bannon wing of Donald Trump‘s Republican Party.” (RELATED: Former Clinton Spox Compares VA Republican To Neo-Nazis)
Gillespie’s campaign issued a statement to The Daily Caller rebuking the Latino Victory ad.
“Ed Gillespie has focused his campaign on the many policy differences between Ralph Northam and him, but sadly the Northam campaign and its allies have launched a desperate smear campaign against Ed in the closing days of this election,” Chris Leavitt, his campaign manager. “The Lieutenant Governor was roundly rebuked for exploiting imagery from the tragedy of Charlottesville for political points. Now his allies have reached a new low with a disgusting, vile television ad seeking to instill fear in our children with that same imagery. This is not an attack on Ed Gillespie anymore. This is an all out attack on the people of Virginia. This latest ad gives a clear indication of just what Ralph Northam and his national Democratic allies think of all of us, and it’s sickening.”
