Political ads on Facebook are making waves in the Indiana Senate race.
The ads, which attack Republican challenger Mike Braun and encourage voters to support the Libertarian candidate, Lucy Brenton, were paid for by the state Democratic Party, according to a report from the Daily Beast.
The ads seem to be an attempt to make Brenton a spoiler for Braun’s campaign as he looks to unseat Sen. Joe Donnelly, a Democrat, in a tight race.
A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls show the race nearly tied, with Donnelly ahead less than a point, 43.4 to 42.6 percent. The average shows Brenton garnering 5.2 percent.
President Trump highlighted the tactic in a tweet Saturday, the day after he and Vice President Mike Pence led a “Make America Great Again” rally in Indianapolis to support Braun.
“Donnelly is trying to steal the election? Isn’t that what Russia did?!” he wrote, referring to accusations of Russia using social media disinformation campaigns to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.
Rumor has it that Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana is paying for Facebook ads for his so-called opponent on the libertarian ticket. Donnelly is trying to steal the election? Isn’t that what Russia did!?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2018
Department of Homeland Security officials said earlier this year that Russian efforts to sow discord and deepen divisions in U.S. society via disinformation campaigns on social media continue.
The Indiana campaign ads, which are listed as having been authorized by Donnelly for Indiana, typically refer to Braun as “Tax Man Mike Braun” or “Tax Hike Mike Braun” and link to Brenton’s campaign website.
“Tax Hike Mike Braun will say anything to get elected, but the fact is that he was an active Democrat for decades, and voted to raise your taxes 159 times,” several of the ads say. “Lucy Brenton is the true anti-tax conservative.”
