Mainstream media reporters are fond of lavishing praise on and treating with reverence any prominent Republican (or former Republican) who declares themselves to be a part of the #NeverTrump coalition. Words like “principled” and “courageous” are often tossed around when describing the work the #NeverTrump leaders in the “Lincoln Project” PAC are doing in allegedly exposing President Trump as an inauthentic conservative.
In reality, the story of the Lincoln Project PAC is far less noble and altruistic than the media makes it out to be. So much so that in the midst of the PAC’s recent blitz of tweets and ads showcasing their disdain for Trump and support for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, the conservative Club for Growth Action group started a website focused on exposing the anti-Trump PAC columnist Miranda Devine dubbed “embittered former GOP grifters.”
Here’s what Club for Growth wrote in their announcement:
Club for Growth Action announced the launch of a television advertisement and website (TheRealLincolnProject.com) exposing The Lincoln Project as nothing more than a Democratic front group.“The Lincoln Project has nothing to do with principle, and everything to do with lining the pockets of failed consultants by attacking conservatives,” said Club for Growth Action President, David McIntosh. “While the group is the darling of the liberal media, the fact is that it’s a Democrat front group and one of the least efficient ways for anti-Trumpers to spend their political dollars.”[…]Financial disclosures show that 90% of the Lincoln Project’s donations go directly into their own pockets.The Lincoln Project has unsurprisingly made the jump from opposing President Trump to opposing conservatives and supporting liberals in key races across the country.
The powerful video they put together starts off with clips from Lincoln Project adviser Rick Wilson’s infamous January 2020 “boomer rube” segment on CNN that had anchor Don Lemon doubling over in laughter while Wilson denigrated and mocked average American conservatives, and goes from there. Watch below:
Wilson was also recently exposed as a hypocrite on the issue of prominent displays of the Confederate flag after images were discovered on his Instagram page that featured a “South will rise again” Confederate cooler. It brought a great deal of embarrassment to the Lincoln Project, who just a few weeks ago released an error-filled ad trying to shame President Trump for the people who fly Confederate flags at his rallies.
Club for Growth isn’t the only organization shining a brighter light on the inner workings of the George Conway-led Lincoln Project, either. The Center for Responsive Politics looked into their finances and spending in May and filed this report:
The Republican super PAC has amassed a substantial war chest, but it has come under scrutiny for funneling money to its advisory board members and spending relatively little airing political ads to influence voters. The group also hides some of its vendors by stealthily paying subcontractors, making it difficult to follow the money.The Lincoln Project reported spending nearly $1.4 million through March. Almost all of that money went to the group’s board members and firms run by them. The super PAC spent nearly $1 million with Summit Strategic Communications, a firm run by Lincoln Project treasurer Reed Galen. Another $215,000 went to Tusk Digital, a company run by Lincoln Project adviser Ron Steslow. Both companies received little business from other federal committees since Trump’s inauguration.That seven-figure spending, noted earlier by campaign finance expert Rob Pyers on Twitter, comes as the group spends relatively little on direct political activity. The super PAC shelled out $364,000 to Galen and Steslow’s companies to run independent expenditures opposing Trump and his Republican allies in Congress. But just 52 percent of that money went to buying and placing ads, with the rest spent on producing the ads themselves.That’s an unusually high rate for production costs compared to most super PACs.
The Atlantic’s Andrew Ferguson also pointed out last month how the group has has gone far beyond being “never Trump” to being fully “never Republican” and pro-Democrat:
Coming from Republicans, their attacks may appear fresh, principled, and transpartisan, while remaining stale, unprincipled, and partisan. Like many unhappy former Republicans, the leaders of the project have crossed over from being “never Trump” to being “never Republican,” taking aim even at such GOP moderates as Cory Gardner and Susan Collins. Their most recent ad, called “How a President Leads,” is an unabashed valentine to Joe Biden.
Sounds to me as though in trying to prove Trump is not a real conservative, the Lincoln Project has instead shown themselves to be guilty of the charge.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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