Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s U.S. Senate campaign released a digital ad Friday highlighting comments from her Democratic opponent, Phil Bredesen, on the caravan carrying over 7,000 immigrants headed to the United States, which he said was “not a threat to our security.”
Bredesen, the former Democratic governor of Tennessee, told WCTB-TV Wednesday that the U.S. is the strongest country in the world, so a “few thousand very poor people coming to our border is not a threat.”
Blackburn, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and his plan to build a wall along the nation’s southern border, is currently leading Bredesen in the race for Senate by nearly 7 points, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average.
Blackburn’s campaign revealed a digital ad contrasting Bredesen’s comments with the potential threat that some of the immigrants headed to the U.S. could be gang members or people with criminal backgrounds.
“If Phil Bredesen had his way he would be at the border to greet these illegal aliens with driving certificates, encourage them to work on his campaign, and go vote,” Blackburn’s campaign manager, Kevin Golden, said in a press release.
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“Tennesseans want their next Senator to stand firm against illegal immigration, work with President Trump to build the wall, support [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and law enforcement agents, and stop sanctuary cities,” Golden added. (RELATED: Phil Bredesen Outed As ‘Fake’ Kavanaugh Supporters By His Own Staff)
The two candidates have starkly different views on nearly all the issues, including immigration, in which Bredesen has pushed against the wall and believes “modern technology” is a more effective way of securing the borders.
“Phil Bredesen, dangerously wrong for Tennessee. Marsha Blackburn will stand with Trump to build the wall and stop the caravan,” the ad ends.
While Blackburn has picked up endorsements from organizations like the National Rifle Association and Trump himself, Bredesen made headlines in early October when singer Taylor Swift made a rare political statement endorsing the Democrat for Senate.
Spending in the race between Blackburn and Bredesen soared to $68.3 million Friday, making it one of the most expensive campaigns in the state’s history, according to The Tennessean.
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