The general election is here.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign will air their first general election television ad this week, targeting Donald Trump for comments about violence at his events and mocking a disabled New York Times reporter.
The ad, which aides said will begin airing Thursday, is meant to build on what Clinton will say this week at events in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Clinton narrates the minute long spot — titled “Who We Are” — and cast the election as a decision between helping people and dividing the country.
“Today, we face a choice about who we are as a nation,” Clinton says, before video plays of Trump telling an audience in Las Vegas that he would like to “punch” a protester “in the face.”
This formula is used throughout the ad. “Do we help each other,” Clinton asks, before Trump says “knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously.” Back to Clinton, ” Do we respect each other,” before video plays of Trump mocking Serge Kovaleski, a New York Times reporter who suffers from a congenital joint condition.
“You gotta see this guy — ahh – I don’t know what I said — ahh – I don’t remember,” Trump said at a rally in South Carolina.
Trump tweeted Sunday morning: “Clinton made a false ad about me where I was imitating a reporter GROVELING after he changed his story. I would NEVER mock disabled. Shame!”
Clinton then narrates a lengthy description of her presidential platform.
“It’s wrong to pit people against each other,” Clinton says. “We’ve had enough partisan division and gridlock already. It’s time to unite behind some simple, common goals.”
Clinton will speak in Cleveland on Monday, where aide says she will “define the choice that voters face in this election and outline her vision of an America that is stronger together.”
On the same day, though, Trump will deliver a speech in New Hampshire, where he is expected to go after the Clintons for past scandals and controversies, namely those from the 1990s.
Clinton aides have said they are happy with this contrast: While Trump is talking about the 1990s, Clinton aides said, the former secretary of state will be speaking about how to help voters.