Seeking to defend President Donald Trump from questions about whether he really reads his daily intelligence report, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters last week “the president does read” and “he is the most informed on planet Earth when it comes to the threats we face. “
In less than an hour, the Lincoln Project, a super PAC led by a group of so-called Republicans who were never Trump, tweeted a six-second edited video of the moment to its more than 1 million followers in its latest attempt to trick the President. .
“This is breaking CNN news,” the video begins, playing a quick cut of the network, followed by McEnany saying, “The president does read.”
The anti-Trump group has become ubiquitous on social media in recent weeks as the president is bogged down by the pandemic and the COVID-19 social unrest. Its members include George Conway, husband of the White House chief official, Kellyanne Conway, and prominent Republican agents such as John Weaver, Reed Galen, Steve Schmidt, Rick Wilson and Stuart Stevens, who have worked on George W. Bush, John McCain Mitt Romney. and John Kasich’s presidential campaigns.
Founded in December, the group’s stated mission is to “defeat Trump and Trumpism” in 2020.
Weaver said the Lincoln Project seeks to provoke a response from Trump with its ads and social media companies while targeting white voters who traditionally can vote for Republicans but are uneasy about the president.
He said the group tries “to do it in such a way, like Republicans, that they are used to seeing when we would go after Democrats with the same kind of language and symbolism.”
During the first months of the Lincoln Project, nothing took off much. But then came the coronavirus outbreak, and the group released a pandemic-themed ad titled “Mourning in America,” which is reproduced in President Ronald Reagan’s famous 1984 re-election announcement.
“Under Donald Trump’s leadership, our county is weaker, sicker, and poorer,” says the ad. “And now, Americans are asking, ‘If we have another four years like this, will there even be a United States?'”
The group spent a few thousand dollars to place the Fox News ad on the Washington DC media market in early May in hopes that Trump would bite the hook.
He did.
In a four-part storm of tweets sent just before 1 am ET on May 5, Trump said that “the group of RINO Republicans that seriously failed 12 years ago, then again 8 years ago, and then was BADLY BAD by me, a first-time politician, 4 years ago “we are” doing everything we can to get even with all its many failures “. “RINO” is short for “republican in name only.”
The president called the group members individually and added: “They’re all LOSERS, but Abe Lincoln, Republican, smiles!”
However, it was the never-trumpers who smiled after Trump’s protracted attack, particularly as fundraising increased. Weaver said the ad alone garnered more than 30 million views, adding that in June the group had more than 110 million video views on their ads.
“By attacking us, it has become our largest financial package,” Weaver said. “If we were an administration, we would probably make him ambassador to Slovenia or something like that, because he’s raising a lot of money for us.”
As of the end of March, the group raised had about $ 2.6 million and spent just under $ 1.4 million. He had spent about $ 223,000 against Trump in early May. The number had increased to more than $ 2 million at the end of June.
The group has particularly focused on Washington, DC, and swing states like Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. He has also spent hundreds of thousands against Republican Senate candidates in states like Arizona, Iowa, and Montana.
June was its largest month by far for expenses in the 2020 cycle, with the group spending more than $ 1.46 million. Its top donors through March included hedge funder Andrew Redleaf, Walton family heir Christy Walton and venture capitalist Ron Conway.
“Trump is his worst political enemy at times,” Weaver said. “And there is no doubt that he has not given us rocket fuel by participating with us. I mean, it is difficult to say that we are irrelevant if they are constantly attacking us.”
While the group is not one of the best-funded PACs, it has been able to take advantage of the combined large following on social media and the prevalence on cable news.
Galen said that the Lincoln Project sees itself as “a pirate ship” which, because it is not aligned with either side, is “capable of being extremely agile” and is not subject to “many problems” over the decision making. .
Recent announcements mocked Trump for his smaller crowd than promised at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma; ridiculed him for the latest controversy over Russian bounty intelligence; and scoffed at his handling of the coronavirus response.
The group also cut a spot by hitting Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale over the lavish expenses, which included purchasing a Ferrari.
Ever since Trump focused on the Lincoln Project, Republicans and Republican-aligned groups have targeted.
The conservative super PAC Club for Growth Action recently released an exclusive ad on Fox News in Washington, DC, breaking the Lincoln Project and accusing its members of hating Trump supporters and pocketing contributions.
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement that Trump “has the support of a record number of Republicans and leads a united party.” He continued: “Every piece of evidence shows that Republicans enthusiastically support President Trump, so any effort by disgruntled former Republicans is doomed to failure.”
Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak, chairman of the Potomac Strategy Group, called the Lincoln Project a “Democratic-funded group that is doing what the left wants by trying to turn the Senate around.”
“His ‘strategy’ of trying to get Trump to see his ads is absurd and strategically futile,” he said, adding: “But I’m sure agents are getting paid.”
The Trump campaign has called Project Lincoln a “fraudulent PAC”, accusing members of “lining” their pockets. In response, Lincoln Project spokesman Keith Edwards said: “No one here is buying a Ferrari.”
A recent New York Times / Siena College poll found that Trump enjoys 91 percent approval among Republicans, though his numbers are declining with some key voting groups as former Vice President Joe Biden opens up a national advantage. .
Democrats have welcomed the group’s efforts, although it is an open question whether it would influence a possible Biden administration.
Rebecca Katz, a progressive strategist, said the Lincoln Project “was not really my cup of tea, but to the extent that they can focus on Trump voters and let the Biden campaign focus on motivating Democratic voters to they stayed at home in 2016, so I’m in favor. “
Jesse Ferguson, a top employee of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, said the Lincoln Project is “telling a powerful story about the soul of this nation, not about a political party, but about the character of the country versus the character from Trump. “
“Defeating Palpatine even required Darth Vader to switch sides,” he said, referring to the “Star Wars” franchise.
Members of the Lincoln Project say they don’t feel their mission will end if Biden achieves a victory in November.
“From the moment we launched in mid-December, we said the first job is to defeat Donald Trump,” said Galen.
“But from our position,” he continued, “the job is not done until Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20. And even after Joe Biden is elected and sworn in, there is plenty of trumpism left in the system.” “
