Super Bowl 2020: Donald Trump’s Campaign First Quarter Ad Left Viewers Scratching Their Heads

President Donald Trump‘s 2020 campaign ad ran early during the Super Bowl, and viewers were not thrilled to see it. The commercial focused on Trump’s clemency for Alice Johnson, who was released from a life sentence at the urging of reality star Kim Kardashian. Many users on Twitter found the ad tasteless.

The Trump campaign ran a somber advertisement early on in Super Bowl LIV. It featured Alice Johnson excitedly thanking the president for freeing her from prison, while words on the screen summarized her story. Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for a non-violent drug offense, until Kardashian asked the president to pardon her.

To many viewers, a political ad was simply a bad fit for the Super Bowl, regardless of its political leanings. Viewers on Twitter were wrinkling their noses at the commercial just for interrupting their game time with a potentially contentious subject.

“Can’t we just enjoy football without Trump using black people?” one person wondered.

Others took more specific umbrage with the contents of the commercial itself. They argued that it was disingenuous for the Trump campaign to take credit for Johnson’s freedom when the president was coaxed into pardoning her by a reality star.

“Bragging about championing black women prisoners and bragging about uniting families is the troll-iest and most predictably opposite-true possible Trump ad. I’m bored,” tweeted TV writer Erin Ryan.

“Usual trump bulls—,” another user wrote. “Ad at Super Bowl lies and says Trump worked on prison reform for African Americans. [He] commuted ONE sentence while imprisoning people of color all over America. Including kids in cages.”

The Trump campaign is likely hoping that at least some viewers were swayed by the ad, as it cost them a hefty chunk of funding. According to a report by Politico last month, the campaign spent $10 million for Super Bowl advertising — the most coveted air time of the year. It is not clear if this TV spot in the first quarter was the only time they purchased.

Other political ads are on the way as well. The report noted that former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg had also paid millions for a Super Bowl commercial, as he attempts to make up for lost time in the race. His campaign reportedly spent $10 million to get the ad running as well.

Despite these massive sums, many viewers are clearly hoping to avoid politics for the duration of Super Bowl LIV. The game is live on Fox.