Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign has demanded the removal of an ad airing in South Carolina that criticizes his candidacy. Cruz’s request comes days after South Carolina television stations tore down a pro-Cruz super PAC’s ad hitting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for similar reasons.
Cruz campaign general counsel Eric Brown penned a letter to TV stations in South Carolina and Georgia seeking the elimination of an ad that Brown says, “falsely claims ‘Cruz proposed mass legalization of illegal immigrants.'”
“Ted Cruz has never introduced, outlined, or supported any policy that would give legal status to illegal immigrants,” Brown wrote. “Indeed, quite the opposite, Ted Cruz led the fight in Congress against legislation written by Senator Rubio, among others, that created legal permanent status for millions of people in the country unlawfully. … Because this advertisement makes a flatly false factual claim for which your station is ultimately liable, we strongly urge you to exercise your discretion as a licensee to refuse to continue to broadcast this advertisement, and, because it is already airing, immediately pull the advertisement from your rotation.”
The ad from American Future Fund, a group that has previously criticized Cruz on the campaign trail, claims Cruz stood with socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders against defense spending and supported President Obama’s desire to weaken the United States’ ability to track terrorists, among other blunders.
“Cruz proposed mass legalization of illegal immigrants,” a narrator says in the controversial ad. “Ted Cruz’s talk is cheap. His national security record is weak.”
Earlier this week a pro-Cruz super PAC targeted Rubio on similar grounds. Stand for Truth’s ad claims a Rubio administration would include more sanctuary cities across the country.
“Marco Rubio and Chuck Schumer’s risky plan? An America full of sanctuary cities,” a narrator says.
South Carolina television stations have since pulled the ad.
Both senators are stumping in the Palmetto State on Tuesday, and have traded blows about the veracity of each others’ claims in recent days. Cruz ranks second in the Washington Examiner‘s newest GOP presidential power rankings. Rubio ranks third.
