During an interview at the Economic Club of Chicago on October 15, Republican candidate Donald Trump claimed that the 2020 elections were "crooked" and labeled the process "a peaceful transfer of power." The claim contrasts with the more than 1,200 people charged with federal crimes for their roles in the January 6 riots, ranging from trespassing to felonies to assaulting police officers.
His comments are part of a larger narrative put forward by Republicans to question the results of the 2020 presidential elections, which has led to a growing number of Americans distrusting the electoral system and the courts that arbitrate elections.
In this context, the Kamala Harris campaign took aim at the narrative with a new ad featuring former Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, a Latino officer who was injured while defending the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riots. The ad, which is being aired in both English and Spanish, highlights Trump's involvement in the riot and questions his loyalty to democracy.
"Donald Trump calls them warriors," says Gonell during the first few seconds of the clip, showing images of Capitol rioters. "But those of us who defended the Capitol, he insults us. And that's the difference. The oath that we took to defend our democracy, we take seriously. He does not."
Gonell then adds: "I defended the Capitol on January 6th but now we all must defend democracy with our vote."
Gonell, an Army veteran who also served in Iraq, retired from the Capitol Police after enduring long-term physical and mental injuries from the riot, Axios reported. He became one of the most common faces associated with the riots after he gave an emotional testimony at Congress hearings back in July 2021, which included a passage in which he said:
"The verbal assaults and disrespect we endure from the rioters were bad enough. I was falsely accused of betraying my oath, of choosing my paycheck over my loyalty to the U.S. Constitution even as I defended the very democratic process that protected everyone in the hostile crowd"
The ad will air across swing states in markets that reach Latino voters with a focus on events and networks that are likely to get large amounts of viewers, including Major League Baseball World Series coverage, soccer matches, Fox Deportes, Univision and Telemundo.
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