Ryan Handson
Like most Presidents, Donald Trump does several things extremely well. He helped reshape the federal judiciary, overhauled the tax code, and did great things for our economy in such a short time. But there’s another thing he does really well, and it’s his ability to rally GOP support – no matter how dangerous his rhetoric and antics get.
One GOP Group Has Had Enough
Republican Voters Against Trump – a Republican organization founded in 2020 and paid for by the Republican Accountability PAC Inc. – has had enough of the double standard among GOP members who say they’ll vote for Trump, despite disagreeing with his ways.
The GOP group’s About Us page reads: “It takes courage to speak out against your party. It takes courage to change your mind about Trump. It isn’t easy, but these voters understand that our democracy is worth saving.”
RVAT Releases Savage Ad Against Trump’s Allies
We’ve all seen those Sara McLachlan commercials for the ASPCA, in which they show injured and lonely puppies and kittens looking for a home. Imagine that, but instead of troubled pets, you replace them with troubled Trump supporters.
That’s the type of political ad Republican Voters Against Trump just released – and it’s pretty savage. They call out Republican leaders like Mitch McConnell, Bill Barr, and Chris Sununu for what they called ‘Partisan Derangement Syndrome.’
They Make A Valid Point
The Republican Voters Against Trump make a valid point about the state of the Republican party today. Trump continues to rally support from his GOP colleagues, even though those same GOP members are publicly admitting how dangerous that might be.
“Every day, prominent Republicans across the country tell us that Trump was responsible for the attack on the Capitol,” the narrator says in the opening. “But sadly, these same Republicans say they will vote for him again.” Here are the three Republicans they called out in the video.
3. Former Attorney General Bill Barr
Bill Barr is one of two people in the history of the United States to serve two non-consecutive terms as attorney general. He first served under the George H.W. Bush administration between 1991 and 1993, and then again under Donald Trump between 2019 and 2020.
He ultimately resigned from his position because he didn’t support then-President Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Barr also went on national television and said he believes Trump incited the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to intimidate Congress.
Barr Says He Will Vote For Trump In 2024
In less than 12 months, Barr went from publicly admitting Trump ‘shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office’ to supporting the former President’s ticket for re-election – something he confirmed recently in an interview with The Source.
He was asked if he was going to vote for someone facing 88 criminal counts – even if only 10 of them turned out to be accurate. His answer was yes. “I’m supporting the Republican ticket,” he said – arguing that four years of Trump is better than another four with Biden.
2. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
Sen. Mitch McConnell is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history, having served since 1985. He has been the Senate Minority Leader since 2021 but will be stepping down later this year. He’s a longstanding Republican.
In the Republican Voters Against Trump ad, they show a clip of McConnell speaking in front of the chamber. “President Trump is responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said – talking about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
McConnell Will Be Voting For Trump In 2024
Now, several years later, McConnell is choosing to support that same man he was critical of in 2021 for President of the United States. Later on in the ad, RVAT shared a clip of McConnell speaking to reporters in early March. At the time, Trump had just secured the GOP nomination.
“I said that I would support President Trump if he were the nominee, and he obviously is going to be the nominee of my party,” he said. That means he’s voting for someone he admitted to being ‘morally responsible’ just a few years ago – interesting.
1. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu
The third and final person who got called out by Republicans Voting Against Trump was Chris Sununu. He has served as the 82nd Governor of New Hampshire since 2017, and is a noted Republican, but we can’t tell if he likes Trump or the attention he gets for liking Trump.
He supported Trump in 2016 and even called himself a ‘Trump guy through and through’ in 2019. After the 2020 election, he accepted Biden’s victory and said, ‘it is clear that President Trump’s rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection’ in 2021.
Sununu Proud To Support Trump In 2024
The past 12 months have been a whirlwind for Sununu. In 2023, he said he would support Trump if he were the nominee. By December, he was campaigning for Nikki Haley and was, in fact, encouraging Republicans to vote against Trump.
When Trump secured the nomination last month, Sununu flipped yet again. He was asked in an interview if he would support the former President despite saying he was responsible for the Jan. 6 insurrection. Sununu proudly said, “Yes, me and 51% of Americans.”
Suffering From Partisan Derangement Syndrome
The RVAT ad ended on a hilarious note – saying that ‘these Republicans are suffering from Partisan Derangement Syndrome.’ They showed a clip of Bill Barr being asked if he thought him supporting Trump was him choosing party over country. He, of course, said, “No.”
“At this point in the ad, I would tell you to call this number so you can help these deranged partisan Republicans. But sadly, they’re too far gone,” the narrator said. And that’s how the ad ended – absolute savage.
This Isn’t The First Ad From RVAT
Republican Voters Against Trump made national headlines when they released a political ad in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. The ad aired on TV and digitally during Trump’s visit to the Upper Midwest earlier this month.
The ad featured a former Trump supporter who says he ‘completely, 100%’ holds him accountable for the insurrection of the Capitol. He goes on to say that he ‘will not ever support or vote for Donald Trump ever.’
Collection Of Testimonials From Anti-Trump Republicans
Republican Voters Against Trump has a page on its official website dedicated to real, former Trump supporters sharing their reasons for no longer supporting the former President. There have been dozens of replies.
The most common reasons were creating divide in the country, the felonies he’s currently facing, lack of trust, the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, his character, and more. “His goals and his values are not in line with the principles of the Constitution,” wrote one former supporter.
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