PoliticsDonald Trump2016 electionislamophobia

Anti-Trump Ads Remind Us That A Guy Who Talks About Banning Entire Religions Shouldn't Be President

What if the Republican nominee had proposed banning Jews from the country?
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By 

Managing Editor, Breaking News, HuffPost

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LOGAN CYRUS/AFP/Getty Images

What if Donald Trump had proposed banning all Jewish people from the United States? That’s what one outside group wants voters to think about as they head to the polls on Tuesday.

Truth PAC, launched Friday by Dick Brass, a former Microsoft and Oracle executive, is airing a pair of ads in Florida and Utah to remind voters of when Trump called for all Muslims to be banned from immigrating to the United States. (The Republican nominee later walked back that proposal, saying he was in favor of “extreme vetting” rather than a blanket ban.) 

The ads feature a clip of Trump reading aloud a news story about himself at a campaign rally.

“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” he says. 

But in the ad airing in Florida, the word “Muslims” is changed to “the Jews.”

And in Utah, the ad substitutes the word “Mormons.”

Truth PAC is spending six figures to air the ads ahead of Election Day. It’s also airing a third ad, highlighting Trump’s ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in North Carolina. 

Speaking with The Huffington Post on Friday, Brass said his motivation for starting the super PAC was simple: “I don’t want Trump to win.”

He said he decided to focus the ads on Jewish people and Mormons to reach voters who may still be undecided. 

“There are large numbers of people in both of those demographics who have suffered terrible oppression in the history of their cultures,” Brass said. “They should be concerned that a president who is willing to ban Muslims might be willing to do other terrible things, too.”

Polls currently show Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with a slight lead in Florida. And while Trump is ahead in Utah, independent candidate Evan McMullin has crept up on his lead there.

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularlyincitespolitical violence and is a

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Before You Go

Evolution Of Trump's Muslim Ban
December 7, 2015(01 of13)
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Donald Trump calls for a "complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the U.S. in a statement emailed to reporters. A press release announcing the proposal is simultaneously published to his website -- where it remains to this day. (credit:SCOTT OLSON)
January 4, 2016(02 of13)
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The Trump campaign releases a video ad called "Great Again TV Spot" that doubles down on his proposed Muslim ban, but now it includes the word "temporary." (credit:YouTube)
March 30, 2016(03 of13)
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During a Wisconsin town hall with MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Trump suggests the Muslim ban might have some "exceptions" -- including for his "rich" Muslim friends. (credit:MSNBC via Getty Images)
May 11, 2016(04 of13)
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In a conversation with Fox News Radio’s Brian Kilmeade, Trump says his call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States was “just a suggestion.”

“We have a serious problem, and it’s a temporary ban — it hasn’t been called for yet, nobody’s done it, this is just a suggestion until we find out what’s going on,” Trump says. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
June 13, 2016(05 of13)
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Trump ramps up his proposal following the Orlando shooting and dares Congress to get in his way. But the wording of the ban has already shifted.

“I will suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats," Trump tells a small audience at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. (credit:CHRIS KEANE / REUTERS)
June 25, 2016(06 of13)
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During a trip to the UK, Trump responds to a question about Muslims immigrating to the U.S. from Scotland and he responds, "It wouldn't bother me." Later that day he tells CNN’s Jeremy Diamond he only wanted to focus on “people coming from the terror states.” (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
July 21, 2016(07 of13)
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During his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Trump says, “We must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place." (credit:Bill Clark via Getty Images)
July 24, 2016(08 of13)
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Some question whether his comments at the Republican National Convention indicated a rollback of his initial proposal to enact "a complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the U.S., but he says no. “In fact, you could say it’s an expansion," he tells NBC's Chuck Todd. He continues to say he would target nations "compromised by terrorism," and hints this could apply to countries like France and Germany. (credit:The Washington Post via Getty Images)
August 8, 2016(09 of13)
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Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence suggests Trump's "Muslim ban" might apply to Christians, Jews and people of other faiths. Speaking with conservative radio host Charlie Sykes, Pence echoes Trump's proposal to "temporarily suspend immigration from countries that have been compromised by terrorism." When Sykes asks whether the ban would apply to Christians, Jews and others from “compromised” countries, as well as Muslims, Pence suggests that would be the case. (credit:DARREN HAUCK)
August 15, 2016(10 of13)
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During a campaign event at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump calls once again for "extreme vetting" of people trying to immigrate to or visit the United States, and he adds a proposal to use an ideological screening test to weed out those who don't "share our values and respect our people." (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
September 14, 2016(11 of13)
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Despite repeatedly calling for "extreme vetting" of Muslims trying to enter the country, Trump essentially admits during a campaign rally in Canton, Ohio that such vetting might not even work.

"We don't know where these people come from," he tells the crowd while discussing Syrian refugees. "We don't know if they have love or hate in their heart, and there's no way to tell." (credit:Jeff Swensen via Getty Images)
October 6, 2016(12 of13)
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In interviews with CNN’s “New Day” and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe," Pence responds to questions about his running mate's proposed Muslim ban saying “of course” Trump no longer wants to ban all Muslims from the country. CNN’s Chris Cuomo presses him on why he no longer condemns Trump’s plan to ban Muslims from the country, and Pence responds, "Well, because it’s not Donald Trump’s position now." (credit:CHIP SOMODEVILLA)
October 9, 2016(13 of13)
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In response to a question during the second presidential debate, Trump says his proposed Muslim ban has "morphed into [an] extreme vetting from certain areas of the world." When ABC News' Martha Raddatz presses him to say whether the ban is still his position -- and if not, why -- he repeats that his proposal is now for "extreme vetting." (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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