The Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed by anti-Trump former Republicans, has consistently raised alarms about the dangers of a second Donald Trump presidency. Their latest ad, released on September 18, 2024, takes direct aim at Trump’s recent attack on pop star Taylor Swift.
At a Glance:
- Lincoln Project’s new ad uses Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” as a theme to highlight Trump’s long history of attacking successful women.
- The ad focuses on Trump’s comments about Swift and other prominent women over the years, emphasizing his disrespect and misogyny.
- The Lincoln Project has been critical of Trump for several years and continues to release ads aimed at his character and leadership.
Titled “Bad Blood” — a nod to Swift’s 2014 hit single — the ad begins with footage of Swift accepting an award at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. The voiceover states: “Taylor Swift isn’t the first successful woman Donald Trump has attacked… she’s just the most recent.” The video then displays Trump’s recent post on Truth Social, where he declared in all caps: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
The rest of the ad is a montage of Trump’s infamous put-downs of women throughout his public life. This includes his derogatory remarks about comedian Rosie O’Donnell, where he referred to her as having a “fat, ugly face,” as well as his crude comments about Celebrity Apprentice contestant Brande Roderick. The narrator continues, “Trump has a problem with women… disrespectful… insulting… even violence,” over clips of Trump during his 2016 presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, when he referred to her as “the devil.”
The ad also features a 2016 interview in which Trump claimed there “has to be some form of punishment” for women who have abortions. His appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices led to the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, a move Trump hailed as “the biggest win for life in a generation.”
The ad emphasizes Trump’s well-documented history of misogynistic behavior, showing footage of him signing an autograph on a woman’s dress and referencing the notorious Access Hollywood tape, where Trump boasted about groping women. It asks the poignant question: “Is this how you would want a man to treat your daughter?” The narrator points to Trump’s crude remark about former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly having “blood coming out of her whatever” after she pressed him on his derogatory language toward women.
The ad concludes with Swift’s image filling the screen, alongside audio from a recent Fox News segment where Trump predicts Swift will “pay a price” for endorsing Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The narrator closes with: “He says he hates Taylor… but the truth is he hates all of us.”
The Lincoln Project continues its mission to expose what it sees as the risks of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, using high-profile moments like this one to send a powerful message to voters.
