Democratic Candidate Earns Condemnation From Michelle Obama with Ad Implying Endorsement That Doesn’t Exist

A Philadelphia Democrat hoping to become the city’s next mayor caused some concerns with a recent ad that seemed to suggest an endorsement from Michelle Obama that hasn’t actually happened.

Daily Beast’s Ernest Owens first reported on the ad, which features the former first lady praising Jeff Brown, a Democrat who owns a a chain or grocery stores.

“I think Jeff Brown put it best when he said we’re not gonna be on the sidelines. We’re gonna be right with our communities,” Obama said in the ad, which has run on stations like BET and VH1. The ad also features a photo of Brown with former President Barack Obama.

 

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A post shared by Jeff Brown (@jeffbrowngrocer)

According to the report, aides to Michelle Obama have voiced concern about the ad. Brown’s office has reportedly heard from Obama’s office that they are not happy with the ad running as Obama doesn’t make primary endorsements.

A spokesperson for Brown defended the ad, which hasn’t run since earlier this month, explaining the Michelle Obama footage is “public domain.”

“It included comments that former First Lady Obama made about Jeff Brown’s work on developing solutions to the national food desert crisis. The ad producers did not reach out because the comments were in the public domain,” the spokesperson said.

Brown’s office claimed the ad stopped airing because it completed its cycle, but it stopped airing after Michelle Obama’s office contact Brown’s and made clear what needed to happen, without actually saying it needed to happen.

“They didn’t tell us to take the ad down, but it could be implied,” Brown’s spokesperson said.

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