A full-page paid ad in The Tennessean published Sunday saying that “Islam is going to detonate a nuclear device in Nashville” on July 18 has generated scrutiny of the state’s largest circulated newspaper.
The ad — which is topped with a banner that includes photos of Donald Trump, Pope Francis and a burning American flag — falsely claims that the religion of Islam is going to detonate a nuclear bomb in Nashville, that America is at the end of its history, and that “Donald Trump is the final president.”
The ad was paid for by a Christian doomsday group, The Ministry of Future for America, whose mission, according to its website, “is to proclaim the final warning message of Revelation 14,” adding, “The end-time fulfillment of Bible prophecy is no longer future-for it is taking place before our eyes.
A portion of the ad can be seen below.
The Tennessean immediately pulled the ad from future editions and has launched an investigation into how it made it to publication, as it violated the paper’s standards forbidding hate speech.
“Clearly there was a breakdown in the normal processes, which call for careful scrutiny of our advertising content,” Michael A. Anastasi, vice president and editor of The Tennessean, said.
“The ad is horrific and is utterly indefensible in all circumstances. It is wrong, period, and should have never been published,” he added. “It has hurt members of our community and our own employees and that saddens me beyond belief. It is inconsistent with everything The Tennessean as an institution stands and has stood for.”
The Tennessean is owned by Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. as measured by daily circulation, which also owns USA Today.