Anti-Trump ad by Republican super PAC attacks the president’s relationship with Russia amid bounties report
A new anti-Donald Trump ad by a Republican super PAC has hit out against the president over reports he was briefed about Russia putting bounties on US troops in Afghanistan.
The Lincoln Project's latest ad, entitled "Fellow Traveller", is filmed with a Russian voiceover and English subtitles.
"The most important endorsement Donald Trump received in 2016 was not from your Senate leader," the ad stated while showing a picture of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
It continued: "Not from your Congressman Paul Ryan. And not from any of your Republican senators, representatives, or governors." A series of pictures of prominent Republican politicians are shown across the screen amid the voiceover.
"No, Donald Trump's received the most important endorsement in 2016 from our great leader, Vladimir Putin."
References to Russia's involvement were then listed out in the ad, with it stating special services worked "overtime" to help manipulate voters, spread propaganda, and discredit Hillary Clinton as she ran against Mr Trump.
All of this, the ad stated, was to elect "Comrade Trump".
"Congratulations, Comrade Trump. Russia thanks you for your loyalty and friendship," the ad ended.
The Lincoln Project was formed last year by a group of anti-Trump conservatives, and was even co-founded by attorney George Conway, who is notably married to White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway.
The group has released a series of ads in 2020 to criticise the president, including the most recent one slamming his relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin.
An ad released earlier this week further slammed reports that Mr Trump was briefed about bounties being put on US soldiers while they were in Afghanistan.
Former U.S. Navy Seal Dan Barkhuff was featured in the ad, and he said he felt "betrayed" by the president about the Russian bounty reports.
"Any commander-in-chief with a spine would be stomping the living sh** out of Russians right now, diplomatically, economically or if necessary with the sort of asymmetric warfare they're using to send our kids home in body bags," Mr Barkhuff said in the ad.
He added the president was either a "coward" against Russia or "complicit".
Mr Trump and his administration has denied the president knew about intelligence reports of Russia allegedly putting bounties on soldiers while abroad.
On Wednesday, the president addressed the reports, first revealed by The New York Times, by calling it all a "hoax". He has since been briefed about the intelligence reports but has not indicated what he will do with the information.
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