Celebrities and viewers slammed NBC on Twitter after the network chose to air an election ad from Donald Trump during Sunday Night Football.
The racist and misleading ad targets the migrant caravan in Mexico currently making its way to the southern U.S. border. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ad aired in the middle of a game between the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots.
NBC has since removed the ad from circulation, according to a spokesperson for the network. “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.”
Will & Grace star Debra Messing chided her own network for airing the ad that had previously been turned down by CNN. “To our @willandgrace fans—I want you to know that I am ashamed that my network aired this disgusting racist ad,” she tweeted.
CNN responded to Donald Trump Jr. on Saturday, after the president’s son tweeted about the network’s refusal to run the ad. “CNN has made it abundantly clear in its editorial coverage that this ad is racist,” the company wrote.
Judd Apatow also went on Twitter to criticize NBC for the move. “It was a low point in the history of @nbc,” he tweeted. “Who will explain their reasoning for promoting racism during this football game?”
The ad feeds into the racist stereotype that those families heading toward the border are dangerous and violent. It's not being linked in this story because, duh.
