‘Sick’ Trump anti-windfarm ad banned over Lockerbie parallels
The Advertising Standards Authority has stymied Donald Trump’s latest effort to promote his anti-windfarm agenda by banning an advert which drew parallels between wind power and the Lockerbie bombing.
Trump had planned to publish a series of newspaper adverts with a picture of First Minister Alex Salmond and allusions to a connection between planning decisions and the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
Following the receipt of 21 complaints the ASA moved to block their publication, asserting that the campaign was ‘misleading’.
Amongst their number was Green party head Patrick Harvie who said: “Only a sick mind would link renewables policy with Lockerbie victims and while the ASA says the advert did not breach its code in terms of offence, it agrees it was distasteful.
“It also agrees that both the claim about tourism and the use of an American image were misleading. I believe Mr Trump owes an apology for his crass behaviour.”
George Sorial, executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation told the Sunday Herald: “We actually wanted the content to be much stronger because Scotland is facing an economic and environmental meltdown.
“The fact that the ASA has now clearly contradicted the advice of CAP demonstrates how disorganised, inefficient and wasteful these agencies are.”
In October 2012, Trump claimed the ASA had banned the ad, although the organisation said at this point it was not being looked into. At that point, Trump refused to comment to The Drum.