The Democratic Party’s House campaign arm wasted no time targeting Republicans who opposed impeaching President Trump for his role in inciting the siege of the Capitol.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is running ads against seven House Republicans who represent districts won by President-elect Joe Biden on Nov. 3 and voted against the single article of impeachment approved this week. The spots, aimed at persuadable voters and airing in English and Spanish on digital platforms, accuse these incumbent Republicans of voting “with the mob” and giving Trump “another chance to incite violence.”
Cole Leiter, a DCCC spokesman, said in a statement that opposing impeachment after the violent ransacking of the Capitol meant to overturn the 2020 election will cost Republicans their jobs in the 2022 midterm elections.
“After promoting the very same conspiracy theories that incited this mob, the vast majority of House Republicans caved to President Trump,” he said.
Because major social media platforms are not currently accepting political ads, the DCCC spots are being run on various websites, such as news and sports outlets. The committee is not spending much on this ad-buy but is running with the campaign to send a message. The Republicans being targeted include:
· Rep. Mike Garcia of California, whose northern Los Angeles County district delivered 54% of its vote to Biden.
· Rep. Young Kim of California, whose Orange County district delivered 54.1% of its vote to Biden.
· Rep. Michelle Steel of California, whose Orange County district delivered 49.7% of its vote to Biden.
· Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, whose Miami-Dade County district delivered 51.3% of its vote to Biden.
· Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, whose Omaha area district delivered 52.2% of its vote to Biden.
· Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, whose suburban Philadelphia district delivered 53% of its vote to Biden.
· Rep. Beth Van Duyne of Texas, whose Dallas-Fort Worth area district delivered 51.9% of its vote to Biden.
Trump was impeached once before.
Around this time last year, two articles of impeachment were approved along party lines, with all House Republicans opposing. The GOP then proceeded to flip a dozen districts held by Democrats in the November elections, coming just a handful short of winning back the majority. Republican operatives argue that voters are likely to respond similarly to this second impeachment of Trump in the midterm elections in two years.
Republicans also took exception to the particular attacks of aiding and abetting an insurrection that Democrats leveled in the ads against Garcia, a military veteran; Kim and Steel, two first-generation immigrants; and Salazar, the daughter of Cuban exiles.
“House Democrats’ first paid media effort shows they learned nothing from their 2020 shellacking. We’ll remain laser-focused on highlighting how Democrats’ socialist agenda hurts everyday Americans and leave the hysterical rhetoric to them,” said Michael McAdams, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Democrats are confident this time is different, citing public and private polling showing disgust with the riot at the Capitol. Ten House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump, led by Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 ranking GOP leader in the House. Even Republicans who opposed impeachment, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, are blaming Trump for inciting grassroots supporters to storm the Capitol.
The president’s controversial comments came on Jan. 6 during a rally in Washington as Congress met to certify Biden’s Electoral College victory and following two months of claims that the Nov. 3 election was stolen in a broad conspiracy. In urging supporters to march on Capitol Hill, Trump said congressional Republicans had to be encouraged to overturn the election by objecting to Biden’s electoral votes. What followed was the ransacking of the Capitol, with security forces overrun.
On Friday, a new Pew Research Center poll showed Trump with a 29% approval rating — by far the lowest of his presidency.
Seventy-six percent of voters give him negative marks for his handling of the post-election period, compared to 64% who rate Biden’s behavior positively during the same period. Still, 64% of GOP voters or voters who lean Republican believe Trump’s claims that he “definitely/probably” defeated Biden, with 46% of this group saying the president bears no responsibility for the Capitol siege.
