Hillary Clinton is taking to the airwaves to confront Donald Trump, airing her first television ad here in New York to challenge the Republican billionaire in hopes of strengthening her own bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“When some say we can solve America’s problems by building walls, banning people based on their religion and turning against each other,” Clinton says in the ad, “well, this is New York. And we know better.”
The ad, which Clinton narrates herself, comes as she starts planting her flag for the New York primary April 19. She’s engaged in a fierce Democratic primary battle with Sen. Bernie Sanders, but the new ad underscores her new effort to present herself as the best candidate to stop Trump from reaching the White House.
“When we pull together, we do the biggest things in the world,” Clinton says.
The ad directly takes on Trump, showing footage of a hotel he is developing in Washington, with a sign saying: “Coming in 2016: Trump.” The ad also shows footage of violent rallies, including a Trump supporter punching a protester.
Trump mocked Clinton over the ad while speaking at a campaign event in De Pere, Wisconsin, Wednesday morning.
“It’s a New York City ad, talking about New York. Except for one problem — she used a sign that’s on Pennsylvania Avenue,” Trump said, before joking that if he doesn’t win the election, he’ll live on the avenue — on which the White House stands — “no matter what happens.”
The ad is designed to remind New York voters of her commitment to the state during her years in the Senate, from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and beyond.
The primary could shape up as something of a preview to a potential general election matchup between Clinton and Trump, and the unusual pairing of rivals from New York. Trump is sure to respond in kind, following his approach of pushing back aggressively when attacked.
The ad did not go unnoticed by the Sanders campaign.
“Obviously the Clinton campaign understands the momentum that Senator Sanders has and that’s forcing them to fight for a state they’d have thought they’d have wrapped up by now,” a senior adviser to Sanders told CNN.
Sanders, campaigning in Wisconsin on Wednesday, will accelerate his New York campaigning with a rally Thursday in the Bronx.