President Donald Trump's campaign is stepping up its vendetta against a scathing ad from the largest Democratic political action committee in the United States.
Months ago, the campaign issued a cease and desist order against the super PAC, accusing its ad of deliberately misusing Trump's words in a deceptive manner. The campaign also sued a local television station in the swing state of Wisconsin for airing it.
The ad features the numerous times Trump dismissed the threat posed by the virus as a graph showing the number of cases continues to rise.
Watch below.
This is the ad the Trump campaign doesn't want voters to see. It sure would be a shame if more people saw it. pic.twitter.com/Jdh1GY9HHS
— Priorities USA (@prioritiesUSA) June 24, 2020
After the cease and desist went unheeded, the Trump campaign is now suing Priorities USA, with Trump campaign legal advisor Jenna Ellis saying:
"It is abundantly clear that Priorities USA supported fabricated digital content in a flagrant attempt to defame President Trump and a desperate attempt to save Joe Biden's sinking campaign. As a result of these intentionally deceitful actions, the Trump campaign is using the force of law to end circulation of these erroneous and defamatory ads."
Priorities USA's Guy Cecil responded to the suit in a statement:
"Priorities USA Action successfully intervened as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign against a small Wisconsin TV station in a desperate attempt to prevent Americans from hearing the truth about Trump's failed response to the coronavirus pandemic which has cost over 120,000 American lives and millions of jobs. We stand by the facts in our ad that uses Trump's own words. We won't back down from holding Trump accountable for failing America."
The Trump campaign responded to criticisms of the suit by tweeting audio of Joe Biden which had actually been edited to sound like he called the virus a hoax.
President Trump DID NOT call the coronavirus a hoax, but here's audio of Joe Biden doing it! pic.twitter.com/YY6vN5gTM6
— Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) June 24, 2020
Unlike Priorities USA's ad, which includes clips of Trump's own words, the Trump campaign spliced two separate pieces of audio together to construct a sound byte from Joe Biden. The campaign says the audio isn't meant to be taken seriously, but rather to show what they believe to be pro-Biden bias from Twitter. Twitter has yet to take the false audio from the Trump campaign.
The super PAC's communications director, Josh Scherwin, expressed hope that the suit would likely only increase the ad's views.
This is the ad the Trump campaign is suing us over. It already has 17 million views on twitter. I bet that goes up today. pic.twitter.com/NCkwRTqZg5
— Josh Schwerin (@JoshSchwerin) June 24, 2020
It appears that that is the case.
he's suing...now I have to watch it.
— MacKenzie #AmericaOrTrump 🇺🇸🇿🇦🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@run_mac_run) June 25, 2020
Didn't know this existed until the litigation 🤣
— 🅹🅵 🆀🆄🅸🆉🆉🅴🆂 Quarantine Quiz book out now! (@JFQuizzes) June 25, 2020
Oops, I accidentally retweeted it. I may accidentally retweet it tomorrow too.
— Kate #BLM (@_bikerchick) June 25, 2020
I must be really tired. I went to hit the like button and I accidentally hit retweet. I'll give the like button another go. Wish me luck
— Fanatta J (@FanDentiStar) June 25, 2020
People agreed that the Priorities USA ad was only using Trump's actual statements.
How can they sue, I saw him make all these comments? What could he possibly be based on?
— Don't Die for the Dow! (@JudyTNVet) June 25, 2020
The best thing about this ad is you used all of his own words!
— Beth (@bfwhiteman) June 25, 2020
What is he suing for? You're defaming him with his own words?
— #WhenWeAllVote🗳🇺🇸 (@Julie_Hancock32) June 25, 2020
His words, all of them.
— BackToMe (@BackToM43342160) June 25, 2020
They didn't hesitate to call out the Trump campaign for actually manipulating audio either.
You are a pathetic liar spreading manipulated/fake videos and propaganda because you can't sell your racist, moronic, incompetent bully to anyone but yourselves.
— Jamie Schler (@lifesafeast) June 25, 2020
That's really terrible editing. Trump cut yalls funding too?
— Tc Bowen (@bowen_tc) June 25, 2020
1) There is literally video evidence of him calling it a hoax. Like... bruh. Come on.
2) This is very clearly two separate clips edited together. Is there a single human being on this entire planet who would not notice that? It's so obvious.
— Alex Burley 🌹 #BLM (@AJBurlap) June 25, 2020
With over 2.5 million cases of the virus in the United States now, people are hoping Priorities USA releases an updated version showing the numerous times Trump has continued to dismiss the virus.
Please update this awesome piece! Make the chart show 2.3millions cases and counting. Add trump's remarks about testing at the end. That will drive him crazy!
— Rich R (@BigRich6657) June 24, 2020
Ever make a sequel to this that goes not just to 30,000 cases but 2.4 million cases? Because it's now clear that he could not have had a worse #COVID19 if he tries.
— Adam Rifkin 🐼 (@ifindkarma) June 24, 2020
Please update this awesome piece! Make the chart show 2.3millions cases and counting. Add trump's remarks about testing at the end. That will drive him crazy!
— Rich R (@BigRich6657) June 24, 2020
The ad's views continue to climb.
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@sadcommunistdog; @froglok/Bluesky