The controversial ad attacks Democrats for allowing Bracamontes to enter the country, though he was first deported during President Bill Clinton’s administration. He returned, was deported a second time under President George W. Bush’s administration, but again re-entered the U.S.

Tapper told McDaniel that he “completely” agrees that immigration reform is needed, before drilling in again on the ad’s misleading rhetoric.

“President Trump is inaccurately ― inaccurately ― blaming [Democrats] for putting a cop killer, for letting him into the country,” Tapper said. He noted that “the last time he came into the country was under” Bush, a Republican.

McDaniel responded, “Regardless, we don’t want him in the country. He killed police. That’s not good.”

Tapper tried again to question the GOP leader about the ad’s accuracy. “He’s a monster,” Tapper said. “And he was sentenced to death. And good riddance. But was his presence in the United States the Democrats’ fault?”

“It’s a systemic failure ― ” McDaniel replied, prompting Tapper to interrupt, “Yes! That’s true. It’s a systemic failure. That’s my point. It’s a systemic failure. Democrats and Republicans ― that’s the failure. But [Trump] blamed it all on Democrats.”

McDaniel then attempted to pivot the discussion toward the Trump administration’s handling of the country’s opioid abuse epidemic, which didn’t go unnoticed by Tapper.

“I know you want to change the subject,” he said.

CNN on Saturday confirmed it had declined to air the ad after Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, criticized the network over its decision hours earlier.

“CNN has made it abundantly clear in its editorial coverage that this ad is racist,” CNN Communications tweeted. “When presented with an opportunity to be paid to take a version of this ad, we declined. Those are the facts.”