Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lambasted an advertisement that was broadcast on ABC during the Democratic presidential debate. The advertisement featured burning pictures of Ocasio-Cortez.
“Republicans are running TV ads setting pictures of me on fire to convince people they aren’t racist. Life is weird!” Cortez tweeted.
The bizarre advertisement was created by the political action committee called New Faces GOP, which is led by Elizabeth Heng whose California Congress bid failed last year.
The opening of the 30-second advertisement features a photo of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a narration by Heng in the background, saying:
“This is the face of socialism and ignorance. Does Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez know the horror of socialism?”
The picture of the New York lawmaker then burns to reveal images of skulls and skeletons, The Hill reported.
“My father was minutes from death in Cambodia before a forced marriage saved his life. That’s socialism. Forced obedience. Starvation,” Heng goes on to say. “Mine is a face of freedom. My skin is not white. I’m not outrageous, racist or socialist. I’m a Republican.”
According to The Washington Post, Heng was trying to make a comparison between Ocasio-Cortez’s proposed policies and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. The regime was responsible for the deaths of millions throughout its rule in the Southeast Asian country.
“Know that this wasn’t an ad for young conservatives of color — that was the pretense. What you just watched was a love letter to the GOP’s white supremacist case,” Ocasio-Cortez added in a second tweet Thursday.
ABC is facing backlash from many who are questioning the network’s decision to air the advertisement but at the same time warn the participants of the debate not to swear.
“So I’m to understand that @ABCNetwork aired the ad below—which burns a sitting congresswoman’s face—during the #DemocraticDebate but rejected @FFRF‘s ad with JFK, saying, “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.” Really,” Andrew L. Seidel tweeted.
“Candidates were warned not to swear during this debate, but an ad that clearly incites animosity and violence toward a sitting Congresswoman was apparently no issue. Media corporations are responsible for how they choose to profit, period. #DemDebate,” Rashad Robinson said on Twitter.
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