The political lobbying arm of the Humane Society endorsed Hillary Clinton on Wednesday alongside the release of a new ad that calls Donald Trump “a threat to animals everywhere.” The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) uses the ad to call out Trump’s sons for big game hunting and shine a spotlight on lesser-known advisors such as oil tycoon Forrest Luca and factory farming mogul Bruce Rastetter.
“They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what does this one say about a Donald Trump presidency?” the 30-second spot opens, as a picture is shown of Eric and Donald Trump Jr. holding up a dead leopard. “Trump’s sons: they’re trophy hunters of elephants and rare species. Don Jr. is floated to be interior secretary. Trump’s agricultural advisors support confining pigs … allowing puppy mills, even making horse slaughter legal.” As the narrator lists their crimes, photographs of Trump’s advisors flash on the screen. The ad ends: “It’s a frightening picture. A Trump presidency would be a threat to animals everywhere.”
“One ticket has a clear, compelling record of support for animal protection, while the other has assembled a team of advisors and financial supporters tied in with trophy hunting, puppy mills, factory farming, horse slaughter, and other abusive industries,” President Michael Markarian wrote on the HSLF blog. “The names that Trump’s campaign has floated for engagement on Interior and Agriculture department issues are a ‘who’s who’ of zealous anti-animal welfare activists.”