Defending Democracy Together, NeverTrumper and Bulwark Editor-at-Large Bill Kristol’s group, is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to destroy President Donald Trump’s reelection chances.
Defending Democracy Together (DDT), which has received $1.6 million from liberal billionaire Pierre Omidyar’s Democracy Fund Voice, “has spent $11.5 million on independent expenditures opposing Trump or backing Democratic nominee Joe Biden,” according to Open Secrets. Reportedly, DDT is the “the top spending ‘dark money’ group of the 2020 election cycle so far.”
Kristol is listed by Influence Watch as DDT’s “Board Chair.” Through its project Republican Voters Against Trump (RVAT), of which Kristol is “founding director,” DDT “runs an onslaught of unconventional ads featuring Republicans who plan to vote against Trump in November,” Open Secrets said.
Also, “In addition to paying for TV ads and billboards in swing states, Defending Democracy Together has spent nearly $5.2 million on online ads aiming to spur Republicans to vote for Biden,” Open Secrets noted. The RVAT super PAC has spent $4.2 million to “influence the presidential race.”
Open Secrets summarized the kind of disgusting ads that RVAT has been running against Trump:
The PAC ads feature opinions from Republicans who say they regret voting for Trump in 2016. It also ran a Spanish-language ad comparing Trump to foreign dictators. That group is expected to reveal its donors before Election Day, but like other super PACs it could dodge true disclosure by reporting its allied nonprofit as its only donor.
To make things worse, Open Secrets noted that DDT has partnered with the Russia-tied “Lincoln Project to turn Republican voters against Trump. As part of their initiative Operation Grant, the two groups are aiming to mobilize anti-Trump Republicans in swing states such as Ohio. The Lincoln Project has spent nearly $32 million on ads attempting to unseat Trump and his allies in Congress," which makes it one of the top spending outside groups.
As Open Secrets described, DDT “has spent $5.2 million on Facebook ads since the start of the year. It made its biggest investments in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona and Wisconsin, all key swing states in the 2020 election.”
Conservatives are under attack. Contact ABC News (818-460-7477), CBS News (212-975-3247) and NBC News (212- 664-6192) and demand they cover Kristol’s group more accurately.
