The Republican super PAC the Lincoln Project hit President Trump with a campaign ad released Tuesday over reports of he was briefed that Russia had offered bounties to encourage Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition troops, including Americans.
The Lincoln Project’s new ad entitled “Betrayed” features former U.S. Navy Seal Dan Barkhuff, whom the group described as just one of the current and former service members who “feel betrayed” by Trump after the Russia bounty reports surfaced.
“Any commander-in-chief with a spine would be stomping the living shit 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,” Barkhuff says in the ad.
“Mr. Trump, you’re either a coward who can’t stand up to an ex-KGB goon or you’re complicit,” he added.
The New York Times had first reported Friday that the GRU, Moscow’s intelligence agency, had offered the bounties to Afghan militants, and The Washington Post reported Sunday that the bounties resulted in U.S. deaths.
The ad follows Monday reports that the intelligence on the Russian bounties was included in a written briefing given to Trump. The president has denied being briefed on the intelligence, and several news outlets, including CNN, have noted Trump doesn’t read the briefings regularly.
Jennifer Horn, the co-founder of the Lincoln Project, said in a statement that it “enrages” her that the president was aware that “Russia was hunting our soldiers,” but he “did nothing about it.”
“Patriotic Americans like Dan, who have honorably served to protect our freedoms, deserve a commander in chief they can trust,” she said. “The president defiles their service.”
The Lincoln Project was formed last year by a group of anti-Trump conservatives, including co-founder attorney George Conway, who is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. The group has released several ads in recent weeks criticizing the president as the 2020 presidential election picks up.