After backlash, NBC and Fox are pulling the immigration ad that CNN had considered too racist to run
- After backlash, NBC is pulling an advertisement it aired during Sunday Night Football, and Fox is removing it as well.
- CNN had deemed the ad too racist to air.
- The 30-second ad was approved by President Trump and drew a connection between an undocumented immigrant convicted of murder and the migrant caravan, though there is no connection between the two.
NBC is pulling an advertisement it aired during Sunday Night Football from its networks following a backlash. The 30-second ad, approved by President Trump, aired during an NFL game between the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
"After further review we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible," an NBC spokesman told Business Insider.
Fox News has also pulled the ad. "Upon further review, FOX News pulled the ad yesterday and it will not appear on either FOX News Channel or FOX Business Network," Marianne Gambelli, president, Ad Sales, said in a statement to Business Insider.
CNN previously deemed the ad too racist to air and issued a statement on Twitter about its decision: "CNN has made it abundantly clear in its editorial coverage that this ad is racist. When presented with an opportunity to be paid to take a version of this ad, we declined. Those are the facts."
The primetime ad drew a connection between Luis Bracamontes, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who was convicted of the murder of two Sacramento deputies in 2014, and the migrant caravan. There is no known connection.
Besides Sunday Night Football, the ad also aired on MSNBC, Fox News, and Fox Business, according to analyst Rich Greenfield who cited figures from iSpot.tv. MSNBC aired the ad three times, Fox News ran the ad six times, and Fox Business ran the ad eight times, according to Greenfield.
The ad on NBC quickly drew the ire of some in Hollywood who noted the difference in treatment of the ad between CNN and NBC.
"So @nbc and @Comcast aired that racist Trump caravan commercial during the football game," director Judd Apatow tweeted Sunday night. "Who made that decision? How did they decide it was ok? I am disgusted that you would air that after @cnn refused to air it because it is explicitly racist. Shame on you. @NBCNews."
Actress Debra Messing also condemned the ad in a tweet saying, "I want you to know that I am ashamed that my network aired this disgusting racist ad. It is the antithesis of everything I personally believe in, and what, I believe, our show is all about."
A 53-second version of the ad was released on Trump's Twitter account last week accompanied with the statement: "It is outrageous what the Democrats are doing to our Country. Vote Republican now!"
Trump has frequently used the migrant caravan, which is hundreds of miles away from the US boarder, as a talking point about immigration in the country.