James Cross
Despite the fact that he left the presidency almost four years ago, Donald Trump’s influence has remained clear in federal politics. Republican Senators and Representatives have all referenced when discussing bills that they will and won’t support, and this influence appears to be backfiring on the former president.
A Bill Dying In Congress
Most recently, a bill died on the floor of Congress that would have given Biden new powers regarding the border. It would have provided additional funding to address issues with the immigration system, and would have given border patrol crucial resources to secure the border and protect American families.
The bill was combined with funding for our allies in Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel, and was a bipartisan effort out of the Senate that was worked on for several months before being revealed. Before the bill could even make its way to the floor for a vote, though, Speaker Johnson killed it by announcing that it was “dead on arrival” in the House.
Republicans As Hypocrites
Given the pressure that Republicans have been putting on President Biden to address the increasingly dire crisis at the southern border, this was a shocking turn of events for many people. Constituents were not happy, particularly in light of the infighting that has been seen in the Republican conference over the last few months.
Johnson and other Republicans gave themselves away, though. Reports of private conversations surrounding the bill surfaced in the days ahead of, and following the killing of the bill. These conversations revealed that Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president, didn’t want the border crisis to be solved during an election year.
Trump’s Former Rhetoric
To recap, Trump made a big deal of the border crisis during his presidency, calling immigrants from Mexico “thugs” and “criminals.” He ran on a policy of building a wall along our southern border and requiring Mexico to pay for it, though neither of these goals ultimately came to fruition.
Trump’s history of inaction regarding the border, as well as intense rhetoric regarding immigration, make him killing the border bill unsurprising. The Republican party has a history of making big deals out of issues in order to run on them during election years, but doing nothing about them when they actually have the power to affect change.
An Ad by The Lincoln Project
In response, a late-night ad was released and played in Mar-a-Lago and South Carolina calling Trump out for killing the border bill. The ad was created by the Lincoln Project, a centrist PAC that was founded by moderate Republicans in 2019 with the intent of preventing Trump from winning the White House in 2020.
Their goal has shifted in the years since their founding. Now, the organization seeks to prevent Trumpism in all forms, citing themselves as a deeply pro-democracy organization. The latest ad calling out Trump for his authoritarian actions fits well in line with their stated objectives.
The Wording of the Ad
The ad accuses Trump of encouraging chaos in congress with the exclusive intention of helping his own electoral chances. It then mocks his inability to do anything about the border, even when he had the power of the president’s office behind him to make something happen.
The ad bluntly states, “Donald Trump Doesn’t care if your family’s safety or the lives of law enforcement officers are in the balance. He’s on the side of the cartels, coyotes, and child traffickers.” While this rhetoric relies on racist narratives, it is effective in driving a point.
Trump Responding to the Ad
Trump, predictably, did not take kindly to the ad. He took to his social media website, Truth Social, to post a scathing statement in derision of the ad and the Lincoln Project as an organization.
In his post, Trump complained about the “perverts at the Failed Lincoln project,” and the ad that shows a “grassy, calm, and peaceful Southern Border…explaining what a great job Crooked Joe Biden did in dealing with what has become just one of many…problems facing the United States today.”
Calling the Lincoln Project RINOS
He goes on to call the Republicans of the Lincoln Project RINO’s (Republicans In Name Only), and accuses them of ignoring the “drugs pouring into the USA in amounts so large that no one…would have thought it possible.”
Trump’s rant is signature of how he responds to personal attacks, whether it be from liberals or fellow Republicans. Many people believe that Trump’s internet rants are an example of why he should not be allowed in the White House again, and a member of the Lincoln Project seems to agree.
A Video Response
In response to Trump’s rant, one of the co-founders of the Lincoln Project released a video in response. Rick Wilson, in his video, called Trump a “weak, nihilistic weirdo,” and implied that his reaction was one of the many reasons that the Lincoln Project was standing against him in his bid to take the White House again.
Wilson is not the only member of the Lincoln Project who has been vocal against Trump in the years since he left the White House. George Conway, another of the founders, has been vehement and vocal in his opposition to Trump, especially leading up the primaries, and it only appears that the never-Trumpers are getting louder.
Convincing Moderates and the Undecided
Opinions in this country are, unfortunately, difficult to change even with factual evidence. Republicans who support Trump aren’t going to stop supporting Trump simply because it’s pointed out that he benefits from the federal government being in chaos.
If ads like the one released by the Lincoln Project can sway moderates and undecided voters ahead of the 2024 election, though, the efforts will be worthwhile. The Lincoln Project is determined to preserve the democracy of our country, and have made clear that they see Donald Trump as a significant and existential threat to that goal.
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