Julián Castro buys anti-Trump ad on Fox News – to ensure the president sees it

On Wednesday, a new ad from Julián Castro will air in which the Democratic 2020 contender will speak directly to Donald Trump. To ensure the president actually sees it, Castro’s campaign has purchased ad time on Fox News, including on Trump’s favorite program, Fox & Friends.

The ad buy in question is reportedly a small one of $2,775 for three spots during the day, to air specifically in Bedminster, New Jersey. The president is expected to be there at his golf club.

In the ad, now available online, the former mayor of San Antonio and the secretary of housing and urban development, places the blame for racial tensions in the country, and the ideology of the racist shooter in El Paso, at the feet of Trump.

“President Trump: you referred to countries as shitholes,” he says in the ad. “You urged American congresswomen to ‘go back’ to where they came from. You called immigrants rapists.”

“As we saw in El Paso, Americans were killed because you stoked the fire of racists,” Castro goes on, referencing the striking overlap between language used by the shooter and the president, who regularly vilifies immigrants with language typically reserved for vermin.

“Innocent people were shot down because they look different from you. Because they look like me. They look like my family.”

The concept for the ad echoes back to a stunt by comedian John Oliver on his show Last Week Tonight, in which he bought ad time on Fox News in order to try to educate Trump on issues in a venue he knew he would be paying attention.

“Ya basta,” Castro says in the ad, angered. “Words have consequences.”