Lincoln Project Mocked Over ‘Disgusting’ Ad Criticizing Abbott, DeSantis’ Policies

Two Republican governors were the latest targets of the Lincoln Project in an ad posted Wednesday.

The Lincoln Project ad, which targeted the Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over their recent stances opposing mask mandates, has been mocked as an exaggeration of the threat COVID-19 poses to children and a political ploy to raise money for the political group.

The video showed a child at a school desk learning in person while a title read, “This is where your child should be this fall.” It then switched to footage of a child hooked up to a ventilator with a caption reading, “This… Is where they could be.”

“If you could prevent this, wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t anyone?” the ad text said, before switching to a split-screen of Abbott and DeSantis.

“First they asked you to sacrifice your grandparents for the economy, now it’s your children,” the Lincoln Project tweeted.

First they asked you to sacrifice your grandparents for the economy, now it’s your children. pic.twitter.com/izVGYaY3Pt

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) August 11, 2021

Twitter users were quick to mock the video, including Journalist Glenn Greenwald who said “only psychopaths would produce” such an advertisement and criticized the political project for telling people how to keep children safe when its own co-founder has been accused of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against minors.

You have to give credit where it’s due: they understand how the minds of the weakest and most pathetic liberals function, which is how they’ve been able to fleece so much money from them in exchange for nothing of value, and continue the scam even after all they got caught doing: https://t.co/NI9nyzfkQd

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 11, 2021

The Washington Examiner’s Seth Mandel called the advertisement, “psychotic even for the Lincoln Project” and criticized the group’s claim that they wanted to protect children. (RELATED: Lincoln Project Appears To Have Helped Iranian Disinformation Effort Go Viral)

That Lincoln Project ad is psychotic even for the Lincoln Project. Also they should probably shy away from accusing others of not protecting children.

— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) August 11, 2021

Writer Drew Holden also criticized the Lincoln project’s history of “endangering children.”

In fairness, the Lincoln Project has far more expertise in endangering children than in successful electoral politics. https://t.co/ALAfDjcqdp

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) August 11, 2021

Journalist Zach Weissmueller called the video “disgusting,” and a “fear mongering” tactic to promote cloth masks.

Just saw a disgusting, fear-mongering Lincoln Project ad suggesting that your kid is likely to end up on a ventilator unless your governor mandates she wear a cloth mask at school all day.

— Zach Weissmueller (@TheAbridgedZach) August 11, 2021

Some individuals tweeted in support of the advertisement, including some of Lincoln Project’s staff, who criticized the approaches of the Florida and Texas governors.

NEW AD: Today, The Lincoln Project released a new ad: “Back To School.”

The spot targets governors @RonDeSantisFL and @GregAbbott_TX for placing their own political ambition ahead of the health and safety of children heading back to school. pic.twitter.com/b2aQIV089v

— RC Di Mezzo (@rcdimezzo) August 11, 2021

whoa — they went there https://t.co/Nyrlibb5Nj

— Sarah Burris (@SarahBurris) August 11, 2021

The Lincoln Project is a PAC founded by “never-Trump” ex-GOP figures including Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt and George Conway. Several founding members resigned in early 2021 after a co-founder of the group, John Weaver, was accused of sexual misconduct.

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