Donald Trump reacted with fury on Twitter and to reporters after seeing the latest video released by prominent attorney George Conway’s group, The Lincoln Project. It clearly got to him — while Conway and others associated with the group seemingly basked in his anger and suggested more (and more forceful) videos will be coming during this Presidential election season.
The Washington Post provides the context:
George T. Conway III, prominent attorney and husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, has been trying with only modest success to provoke President Trump’s Twitter wrath for the better part of his presidency. He finally succeeded close to 1 a.m. Tuesday.
What set Trump off was a video, sponsored by the Lincoln Project, the anti-Trump super PAC that Conway co-founded with other Republicans and former ones. The video, released Monday, lays responsibility squarely at Trump’s doorstep for the severity of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, including the deaths and economic damage.
Tens of thousands nationwide have died of the “deadly virus Trump ignored,” says the video, called “Mourning in America,” inspired by President Ronald Reagan’s famous “Morning in America” 1984 campaign ad.
Considered a classic of the genre, the Reagan reelection ad showed happy, prosperous Americans, smiling, going to work and getting married. It ended with the words: “It’s morning again in America, and under the leadership of President Reagan, our country is prouder and stronger and better. Why would we ever want to return to where we were less than four short years ago?”
“Mourning in America” is dystopian, showing dilapidated houses, a worried man in a hospital corridor, head in hands, a sick person being wheeled on a gurney, vacant industrial buildings, a man applying for unemployment compensation, crowds of Americans lined up wearing masks and scenes from a Trump speech.
Here’s the video:
And here’s the original Reagan ad:
Trump immediately responded after the ad was released:
A group of RINO Republicans who failed badly 12 years ago, then again 8 years ago, and then got BADLY beaten by me, a political first timer, 4 years ago, have copied (no imagination) the concept of an ad from Ronald Reagan, “Morning in America”, doing everything possible to….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2020
A group of RINO Republicans who failed badly 12 years ago, then again 8 years ago, and then got BADLY beaten by me, a political first timer, 4 years ago, have copied (no imagination) the concept of an ad from Ronald Reagan, “Morning in America”, doing everything possible to….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2020
….get even for all of their many failures. You see, these loser types don’t care about 252 new Federal Judges, 2 great Supreme Court Justices, a rebuilt military, a protected 2nd Amendment, biggest EVER Tax & Regulation cuts, and much more. I didn’t use any of them….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2020
….because they don’t know how to win, and their so-called Lincoln Project is a disgrace to Honest Abe. I don’t know what Kellyanne did to her deranged loser of a husband, Moonface, but it must have been really bad. John Weaver lost big for Kasich (to me). Crazed Rick Wilson….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2020
Reaction was swift on Twitter and it lasted throughout the day.
.@Acosta please tell him we appreciate his support, and that if he didn’t like this one, he’s?????? not going to like what we’ve got coming for him soon and in the fall.
Frankly, this wasn’t the one we thought would set him off. Those poll numbers must be truly awful. https://t.co/JDEs0ZBFff
— George Conway, Noble Committee Chair (@gtconway3d) May 5, 2020
So I have an idea for another ad. Orangeface isn’t gonna like it.
— George Conway, Noble Committee Chair (@gtconway3d) May 5, 2020
#Trump has gone ballistic — or ballisticer — over this anti-Trump #GOPer ad. I can see why. It’s tough, effective and true. He’s tweeting up a storm, which means millions more will see it. https://t.co/fkEAXVGDcJ
— howardfineman (@howardfineman) May 5, 2020
Shhhhh, Mr. President, it's late. TIme fot bed there, little guy. @realDonaldTrump We can talk about it in the morning. Off to bed now. https://t.co/NufB4DJOzM
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 5, 2020
Congratulations to my friends at @ProjectLincoln for provoking this 1:00 am Trump tweet storm! The thought of Trump up late, stewing about their ad and muttering to himself, then calling and waking a staffer to get their names and bios for his tweets, cheered me up this morning. https://t.co/eiT9TE5knP
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 5, 2020
It's just possible… bear with me here…. that the president is not well. https://t.co/DBXZ24uqSC
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) May 5, 2020
“Mourning in America” is the polar opposite of President Reagan’s 1984 brilliant re-election ad, “Morning in America”. Instead of warm fuzzies, the new spot leaves the viewer depressed about the state of the union. https://t.co/P2UU4HM33C
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) May 5, 2020
I couldn't think of a tweet storm better designed to draw attention to the Lincoln Project's ad. Good job! https://t.co/VErMBeouro
— Simon Owens (@simonowens) May 5, 2020
Trump is attacking his conservative opposition because he knows we already have the votes to beat him in swing states in November.
— Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) May 5, 2020
Earned media for the Lincoln project their budget could likely never afford… https://t.co/q1fBun5D0t
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) May 5, 2020
Exactly https://t.co/oDy9iAKt95
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) May 5, 2020
This ad has unnerved and rattled the unsteady hand of @realDonaldTrump. He was played by the Chinese over Covid-19. He failed to protect the country and now 70000 are dead and the American economy is shattered. He has failed the test of history. His legacy will be failure. https://t.co/8aPQVWnmAQ
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) May 5, 2020
Just to be clear, we at @ProjectLincoln won't be intimidated. We are proud to partner with our Constitution loving friends on the Democratic side as we help build the Army of the Decent to route @realDonaldTrump & his enablers in the GOP.
— John Weaver (@jwgop) May 5, 2020
It’s happening . . . Ask the campaign they know they have lost many Republicans. Thank you ?@SteveSchmidtSES? ?@TheRickWilson? ?@gtconway3d? ?@ProjectLincoln? ?@sbg1? ?@NewYorker?
We are working tirelessly to prevent this continuing nightmare. pic.twitter.com/rs8K4iDzqI— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) May 6, 2020
?About the “moon-face” racial slur used by POTUS today, many said it’s not a real slur cuz they never heard it used. Well, 1) it’s real, 2) been said to me, 3) not hearing it used doesn’t make it not real. Empathy please. (Solidarity @gtconway3d).
Slur: https://t.co/pDyOMHce4L pic.twitter.com/6azTF6mD83
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) May 5, 2020
I'm well aware that many individuals of far greater distinction have been called losers, and worse, by Donald Trump. Yet, without being presumptuous, may I say that I wear his scorn as a badge of honor? pic.twitter.com/dvzfJ0ndee
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 5, 2020
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.