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Politics

David Jolly to Wolf Blitzer: DCCC Ad Lies -- Donald Trump Is Charlie Crist's Friend, Not Mine

October 27, 2016 - 3:15pm
David Jolly
David Jolly

David Jolly is prepared to make television networks pay for running ads featuring him and Donald Trump. 

He's one of only five GOP congressional candidates nationally threatening to sue television stations for running ads portraying them with close relationships to controversial presidential candidate Donald Trump. 

In his ‪1 p.m.‬ segment Thursday, CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Jolly why he's among the five. 

Jolly admitted he is personally aggrieved. 

He talked about the ad that falsely showed an image of himself and Trump standing together, buddy-style. The ad flashes photos of Jolly and Trump shoulder-to-shoulder, on a private plane.  

The ad was photoshopped, Jolly said, and came as a surprise considering he's never actually met with Trump. 

"I have never met Donald Trump," Jolly told Blitzer. 

Adding insult to injury to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad is Jolly's own personal convictions against Trump. Late last year when Trump was merely one of many in the running for the Republican presidential nomination, "I called on him to drop out of the race over his Muslim ban," Jolly said. "I have a serious disagreement with many of his policies. There is nothing about [the ad] that is factual."

Jolly has refused to endorse Trump, but said Thursday though he would not vote for Clinton, he hasn't decided who will get his vote. He has said he didn't anticipate getting any closer to siding with Trump before Election Day. As the clock winds to a close before Nov. 8, that possibility looks even more unlikely. 

Blitzer noted a scathing editorial from the Tampa Bay Times about the ad. The Times called on Jolly's opponent, former Gov. Charlie Crist, to make a stand and tell the DCCC to pull the ad. 

The editorial hit Friday. On Monday, Charlie Crist asked that the ad be taken down. And finally, the DCCC did.

"Look," Jolly said. "The ad is worse than just inaccurate. I am the only Republican in the country running against a candidate with a 20-year history with Donald Trump. Charlie Crist has called him gracious and hospitable."

Jolly said his lawyers claim ads using false imagery are not protected against litigation for a campaign committee, as they are for a candidate. And this ad was placed by the DCCC. But he did not say whether he would go through with a lawsuit.

"They waited until the last two weeks of the media buys to have the ad pulled," he said. 

When Crist was asked about the ad two weeks ago at Eckerd College, he cited the First Amendment in defense of the ad. 

Jolly doesn't buy it. 

"This is a failure of leadership and it's why we're tired of Chain Gang Charlie Crist," he explained. 

The ad has had dire implications for Jolly, who now has to explain to voters he's not actually pro-Trump. 

"I've had constituents ask, 'You told us you aren't for Donald Trump, but now we see this ad. Did you lie?'" Jolly said. 

The ad was in heavy rotation for weeks as part of $2 million the DCCC dumped into Crist's campaign to hold another office, this time in Washington. 

Jolly, like many other candidates, has had to do damage control as a result of the attempt to link him to Trump. 

As of Monday, the ad had finished running -- the damage had been done and now Jolly has to pick up the pieces. 

Still, he stands firmly against the ad and the message it portrayed. 

Jolly attempted to make it clear he and Trump were not buddy-buddy as the ad implied. 

"Look, this is my home," Jolly said. "This ad misled voters. ... I want people to know about Charlie's relationship with Donald Trump, and that I have none and never have."

 

Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.

Comments

Poor Jolly upset he was photoshopped. But notice he doesn't say it is wrong on the actual parts he wants to end womens choices and defund the biggest womens health clinics. ...... Which for me is a deal breaker as the biggest government intrusion that can be............ And trump is far worse with revenge squads of lawyers to get those who opposed him and kill the press....... Think what he'll do with the power of being president? Boy republicans can pick them.

Lets see looking at the ballot, Jolly...... No.

Birds of a feather flock together.

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