UltraViolet Action, a progressive women’s organization, has released a series of new ads that do exactly what leaders in the Republican party have long feared: turn Donald Trump into a weapon against the GOP.
The group is using the Republican presidential front-runner to attack GOP senators who face competitive challenges for re-election, such as Sens. Kelly Ayotte, N.H.; Ron Johnson, Wis.; Pat Toomey, Penn.; and Chuck Grassley, Iowa.
The ad links them to Trump and claims they want the brash New York billionaire to be in charge of nominating the next Supreme Court justice. Each of the named Republican senators has joined Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in his vow to block any consideration of a Supreme Court nominee put forward by Obama.
Since those GOP senators instead believe the next president should nominate someone to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, and Trump could very well secure the Republican presidential nomination, UltraViolet Action claims they “would rather Donald Trump be responsible for picking the next Supreme Court justice.”
“That incredibly dangerous decision sends a clear signal to voters that Senate Republicans, under the leadership of Mitch McConnell, are both unfit and unwilling to serve the best interests of the American people,” Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet Action, said in a statement. “The Senate must stop undermining our democracy, fulfill their constitutional duties and vote on whomever President Obama nominates for the court.”
The new ads are part of a five-figure buy and will run on various social media platforms across Capitol Hill in each of the senator’s home states.
“Sen. Ayotte thinks this guy should pick the next Supreme Court justice,” the ad reads, pointing to a picture of a smug-looking Trump. “Tell Sen. Ayotte, ‘Do your job.'” The ads against the three other Republicans senators read the same.
Last month, McConnell reportedly said he would “drop [Trump] like a hot rock” if the businessman secures the GOP nomination. The majority leader also said his colleagues could run attack ads against Trump if his status as the nominee threatens their bids for re-election, according to the New York Times.
Trump, however, has called for unity of the Republican Party and even stressed the importance of maintaining the Republican majority in the Senate come November in his press conference Tuesday night.
“It is very, very important as a Republican that our senators and that our congressmen get reelected [and] that we put a good group of people together,” Trump told supporters and members of the press in Jupiter, Fla. “It’s very, very important if we’re going to be effective.”
