BuzzFeed has rejected a Republican National Convention ad buy—$1.3 million during the run-up to the election—over comments about banning Muslims and threats against a free press by presumptive nominee Donald Trump, according to the site.
In an email to staffers this week, CEO Jonah Peretti said they had informed the RNC that they would not accept Trump for President ads.
“The Trump campaign is directly opposed to the freedoms of our employees in the United States and around the world and in some cases, such as his proposed ban on international travel for Muslims, would make it impossible for our employees to do their jobs," he said.
Peretti likened Trump to another category of ads they won't accept.
"We don’t run cigarette ads because they are hazardous to our health, and we won’t accept Trump ads for the exact same reason," he said.
BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith said on the site that the rejection of ads would not affect the coverage of the Trump campaign, pointing out it was the publisher's call not to take the ads.
An RNC spokesperson told CNN that they had never intended to use BuzzFeed.
