If you thought the current presidential race couldn’t get any sillier or entrenched in the gutter, you clearly forgot the folks who were running. Donald Trump is now taking aim at Ted Cruz and his wife after a group that supports Cruz decided to use an image of Melania Trump in their ad.
Here is the ad in question, using a very real photograph of Melania from GQ to send a message to Mormon voters:
Make America Awesome PAC ad featuring Melania Trump that targeted Mormon voters in AZ & UT https://t.co/KW6MCHhVTL pic.twitter.com/hPQw3821RO
— Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) March 23, 2016
This clearly did not sit well with Trump and he decided to snipe at Ted Cruz’s wife, threatening to “spill the beans” on Heidi Cruz for something in her past:
Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016
What could it be? There are many theories, including a few we don’t want to post, but it could range from personal information or secrets regarding her position with Goldman Sachs. No matter what, Cruz made it clear that this is a red line for Trump by replying to him on Twitter. Yes, the two leading candidates for the GOP presidential nomination are having a Twitter fight.
Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless https://t.co/0QpKSnjgnE
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 23, 2016
And the thing is, Cruz likely had nothing to do with the ads at all. According to Buzzfeed News, the Super-Pac Make America Awesome is running the ads on an Anti-Trump platform and pulling for Trump to close the gap in Utah:
Liz Mair, a Republican strategist whose anti-Trump super PAC Make America Awesome launched the Facebook campaign last week, said each ad is expected to reach around 10,000 Mormons of voting age a day…
The group is running three ads: one that features Mitt Romney, one that emphasizes Trump’s past support for pro-choice policies, and a third that shows Melania Trump posing nude. The Melania ad, which is by far the most provocative, invites viewers to meet “your next first lady.” Mair said that one is being promoted on Instagram as well, but only to LDS women.
Mair addressed Trump’s declaration against Cruz on Twitter, noting that it was her group that was responsible for the ad and not the Cruz campaign. She also hinted at the apparent rumors surrounding Cruz’s wife and why the Trump campaign hasn’t gone public with whatever they’re mentioning.
.@realDonaldTrump Hi Donald, I know you're really upset about that ad, but it was Make America Awesome's, not Ted Cruz's.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 23, 2016
Donald Trump is so desperate to beat Cruz that his team has been pushing around rumors she's a criminal w a mental illness for weeks now.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 23, 2016
Presumably, the reason @realDonaldTrump hasn't said what his campaign has apparently been pushing his followers to say about Heidi…
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 23, 2016
…b/c @realDonaldTrump knows there's a little thing called defamation law. Which doesn't apply to our ad bc the Melania pic is real. LOLZ.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 23, 2016
Imagine if Lee Atwater were alive to see all of this? The entire show makes Willie Horton look tame. No clue what will happen from here, but it’s only March. There’s still plenty of time for this campaign to end in a gang-style knife fight that gives John Kasich sole control of the party. Go at it.
(Via Mashable / Buzzfeed News)