This New Ad Shows How Damaging Trump's Sexism Is

The first presidential debate is on Sept. 26, and if Hillary Clinton's latest ad is any indication of her potential performance, the Democratic nominee is not going to be holding anything back. Released just three days before the debate, Clinton's latest ad is a powerful reminder of Donald Trump's sexism, and what the dangers of a Trump presidency would bring especially for girls and women.

By now, it's no secret that Trump has consistently made degrading and sexist remarks to women throughout his career. An investigation in May by the New York Times found that Trump often engaged in unsettling tactics and dynamics with women spanning decades. But this wasn't really a surprise, either.

Since his announcement to run for president, women advocates have strongly spoken out against Trump. A super PAC ad titled Real Quotes from Donald Trump About Women went viral in March; it showed women reading aloud previous comments Trump had said, all of them extremely offensive. It looks like the Clinton campaign is employing a similar aesthetic with the new ad titled "Mirrors." The 30-second ad features girls of varying ethnicities, all young, self-consciously examining themselves against mirrors while Trump's sexist commentary plays in the background. The use of young girls is particularly striking and gives this ad an added impact. Watch below:

The comments, heavily sourced from TV and radio interviews, aim to show voters the offensive manner in which Trump regards women. The ad also includes a bite from an old interview where Trump is asked if he treats women with respect. Trump's response: "I can't say that either."

Other Trump comments in the ad featured are: "She's a slob, she ate like a pig," and "I'd look at her right in that fat, ugly face of hers."

A joint poll by the Washington Post and ABC this month illustrated that 60 percent of American voters found Trump to be biased against both women and minorities. The finding of this poll is important because it signifies that Trump's comments about women are being taken note of. Clinton's ad pushes his comments a little further and it's definitely impactful.

It's heartbreaking to hear his comments against the visuals of young girls, self-consciously checking themselves with the implication that they're insecure and don't fit idealized standards of beauty — something Trump has always championed. He is the previous owner of the Miss Universe Organization, after all.

The ad closes with a simple question: "Is this the president we want for our daughters?" In using Trump's own words against him and against young girls, the ad is extremely compelling and jarring.