MANCHESTER, NH - FEBRUARY 06: Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, stands on stage following the Republican presidential debate at St. Anselm College February 6, 2016 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Sponsored by ABC News and the Independent Journal Review, this is the final televised debate before voters go to the polls for the New Hampshire primary on February 9. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2016 Getty Images)
A super PAC that opposes Donald Trump has stirred up a social media battle between the billionaire businessman and rival Ted Cruz after it posted a meme-style ad featuring a naked Melania Trump.
Make America Awesome PAC, the group that paid for the ads to go up on Facebook and Instagram, used an image from a British GQ photo shoot that Trump’s then-girlfriend – and a former professional model – did over 15 years ago.
The photo features Melania Trump sprawled out naked on a fur rug inside a Boeing 727 and accompanied by the text, “Meet Melania Trump. Your next first lady. Or you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday.”
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The ad was part of a series that targeted at Mormon voters in Utah ahead of the state’s caucus, which was on Tuesday. The other ads were one criticizing Trump for his previous stance favoring abortion rights and one on Mitt Romney’s support for Ted Cruz.
Cruz ended up winning Utah – and all its 40 delegates – while Trump came in third. Trump still leads in the GOP race with 739 delegates, while Cruz trails in second with 465.
An angry Trump lashed out at Cruz on Twitter, calling Cruz and liar and threatening to “spill the beans” about his wife Heidi.
“Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad,” Trump said on the social media site. “Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!”
Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!
Cruz quickly retorted by saying that the ads were not from his campaign and called Trump a “coward” if he went after the Texas senator’s wife.
“Pic of your wife not from us,” Cruz said. “Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless.”
Make America Awesome was founded by GOP strategist Liz Mair, who claims that Trump is using the ad to start a smear campaign against Cruz’s wife.
“Donald Trump is so desperate to beat Cruz that his team has been pushing around rumors she's a criminal w a mental illness for weeks now,” Mair said on Twitter.
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