Democrats are beginning the crucial task of tying vulnerable Republican incumbents to Donald Trump. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting 15 House races with a five-figure digital ad buy, connecting House Republican leadership (and by extension, the targets of the ads) to some of Trump’s most notorious positions:
The ads, which come in both 60-second and 30-second versions, rifle through some of Mr. Trump’s more contentious platforms, then cuts in with either news reports or video clips of members of the Republican House either directly or tangentially offering support.
After Mr. Trump says he doesn’t think Planned Parenthood should be given federal funding as long as it continues to finance abortions, a video of Mr. Ryan cuts in, saying, “I don’t think Planned Parenthood should get one red cent from the taxpayer.”
After a clip of Mr. Trump’s remarks calling Mexican immigrants “rapists,” it shows a video of Representative Steve King of Iowa saying “for everyone who is a valedictorian” there is another hundred out there “hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.”
It’ll take more than five figures to win these races but starting to tie these Republicans to Trump early, before most voters are paying attention to House races at all, is an important step.