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Radio ad in Arkansas House race says ‘white Democrats will be lynching black folk again’

Posted at 6:42 PM, Oct 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-18 20:42:02-04

A conservative group is running a radio ad in an Arkansas House race that says, “white Democrats will be lynching black folk again.”

The controversial ad, paid for by the political action committee Black Americans for the President’s Agenda, is running in support of Republican Rep. French Hill in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District. Hill condemned the ad, calling it “appalling.”

“Our Congressman French Hill and the Republicans,” a woman is heard saying in the radio ad, “know that it’s dangerous to change the presumption of innocence to a presumption of guilt — especially for black men.”

“If the Democrats can do that to a white Justice of the Supreme Court with no evidence, no corroboration and all of her witnesses, including her best friend, say it didn’t happen — what will happen to our husbands? Our fathers? Or our sons when a white girl lies on them?”

“Girl, white Democrats will be lynching black folk again,” the ad says.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed to the Supreme Court after California professor Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegation.

Hill reacted to the ad and told CNN, “I condemn this outrageous ad in the strongest terms. There’s no place in Arkansas for this nonsense.”

Clarke Tucker, the Democrat challenging Hill, said in a statement, “Congressman Hill and his allies will have to live with the kind of campaign they’re running. This radio ad is disgraceful and has no place in our society.”

Vernon Lucius Robinson, a conservative political activist and the co-founder of Black Americans for the President’s Agenda, told CNN the radio ad is currently running and will run until next week.

“Yes, Black Americans for the President’s Agenda paid for that ad,” Robinson said. “The Me Too movement overreached and the biggest threat with switching the presumption of innocence to the presumption of guilt is to black men.”

Asked about the use of lynching in the ad and the fact that Hill’s campaign condemned it, Robinson said he didn’t care.

“This is the deal,” he said. “Unfortunately Republican consultants have told the candidates, the party and their allies, do not communicate with black voters. … It is hard to make a sale if you don’t ask for the business.”

It’s unclear how many times and where the ad ran in Arkansas. Black Americans for the President’s Agenda’s FEC filing in October indicates the group spent around $8000 on radio ad production and placement.