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Republican Accountability

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Republican Accountability (RA), formerly Republican Accountability Project (RAP) and, for the current presidential election, Republican Voters Against Trump (RVAT), is a political initiative launched in May 2020 by Defending Democracy Together for the 2020 U.S. presidential election cycle.[1][2] The project was formed to produce a US$10 million advertising campaign focused on 100 testimonials by Republicans, conservatives, moderates, right-leaning independent voters, and former Trump voters explaining why they would not vote for Donald Trump in 2020.[1][2][3] By August 2020, they had collected 500 testimonials.[4]

Republican Accountability
FormationMay 2020
FounderDefending Democracy Together
AffiliationsNever Trump movement
WebsiteOfficial website
Formerly called
Republican Voters Against Trump
Republican Accountability Project

On January 29, 2021, it transitioned to the Republican Accountability Project (RAP), which focuses on defending "Republican principles", and attacking Republicans whom they hold responsible for the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.[5] The organization has purchased ad campaigns to criticize members of the Republican Party, particularly those allegedly involved in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

Strategy

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During the 2020 presidential campaign

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The advertising campaign targets white college-educated suburban voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina and Arizona.[2] Paul Waldman, writing for The Washington Post compared the campaign to a similar 1964 Lyndon Johnson ad called "Confessions of a Republican" giving Republicans "permission" to vote against Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election.[6]

Ad space purchased on social media and Fox News was scheduled to start the first week of June 2020.[7] An ad produced by RVAT featuring Trump's descriptions of the coronavirus pandemic was planned to air during the Republican National Convention in Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida and Pennsylvania.[8]

After the 2020 presidential election

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After the election, the lame duck president questioned the legitimacy of the results and encouraged his supporters to demonstrate in support of overturning the results.[9] After the 2021 storming of the US Capitol, RVAT transitioned to RAP, assessing legislators on their willingness to support the assertions that the election results were not legitimate and their support of the January 6th event and of overturning the election results.[10] In April 2021, the organization released a "GOP democracy report card" which gave 14 members of congress an A and over 100 members an F.[10][9] They credited 6% of Republicans as consistently supporting democracy, with many of those retiring or losing their seats.[11]

Ads featuring former Trump officials

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In August 2020, former senior official in the Trump administration Miles Taylor filmed a spot, calling Trump "dangerous" and saying "What we saw week in and week out, for me, after two and a half years in that administration, was terrifying. We would go in to try to talk to him about a pressing national security issue—cyberattack, terrorism threat—he wasn't interested in those things. To him, they weren't priorities."[12] Later that month another former Homeland Security staffer from the Trump administration, Elizabeth Neumann, made an ad in which she endorsed Biden and called Trump "racist" and "a threat to America."[13][14][15] In September, Olivia Troye, former homeland security and counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Pence and aide to the White House Coronavirus Task Force filmed an ad endorsing Biden.[16][17][18]

Ads featuring other high-profile individuals

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In October 2020 former CIA director and retired General Michael Hayden made an ad for the group.[19] In October former GOP congressman Jim Kolbe also made an advertisement.[20][better source needed]

Leadership

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Organizers included Republican political strategist Sarah Longwell, conservative writer Bill Kristol, GOP strategist Mike Murphy, and former Jeb Bush aide Tim Miller.[2][21] The PAC receives funding from several prominent megadonors including LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, investor John Pritzker and hedge fund manager Seth Klarman.[22]

Reception

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The Philadelphia Inquirer said the group was "waging guerrilla warfare within the GOP".[23] Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin called the pieces "some of the best pro-Biden ads".[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Warren, Michael (May 28, 2020). "New GOP group launches $10 million campaign to get Republicans to vote for Biden over Trump". CNN. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Karni, Annie (May 28, 2020). "Get Republicans to Vote Against Trump? This Group Will Spend $10 Million to Try". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Roos, Meghan (May 28, 2020). "Anti-Trump Republican group launches $10 million project to get Biden elected". Newsweek. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Zengerle, Jason (August 5, 2020). "These Republicans Have a Confession: They're Not Voting for Trump Again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  5. ^ The Republican Accountability Project [@AccountableGOP] (January 29, 2021). "Last year, we at RVAT helped defeat Trump by promoting anti-Trump GOP voices. Now, we're transitioning to @AccountableGOP" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Waldman, Paul (May 28, 2020). "The Never Trumpers might finally be on to something". Washington Post. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Mazza, Ed (May 29, 2020). "Rank-And-File Republicans Turn On Trump In New Effort To Block His Reelection". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Mazza, Ed (August 14, 2020). "Republican Group Uses Trump's Words On Coronavirus Against Him In Scathing Ad". HuffPost. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Foran, Clare (April 26, 2021). "Anti-Trump conservative group to grade GOP lawmakers on whether they uphold (or undermine) democracy". CNN. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Republican Accountability Project Creates "Report Card" to Grade Republicans on Their Democratic Values". POLITICUSUSA. April 26, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Levitsky, Steven; Ziblatt, Daniel (2023). Tyranny of the minority: why American democracy reached the breaking point (First ed.). New York: Crown. pp. 130–132. ISBN 978-0-593-44307-1.
  12. ^ Diamond, Jeremy; Tapper, Jake; Warren, Michael (August 17, 2020). "Former senior Trump administration official endorses Joe Biden". CNN. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Dickinson, Tim (August 26, 2020). "Former Trump Homeland Security Official Blasts President As a Threat to America: 'We Are Less Safe Today'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  14. ^ Mazza, Ed (August 27, 2020). "Ex-Trump DHS Official Turns Against Him, Backs Biden In Damning New Ad". HuffPost. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  15. ^ Hall, Louise (August 27, 2020). "Second Trump DHS official to turn on president brands him 'racist' in new attack ad". The Independent. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "Olivia Troye Joins The National Insurance Crime Bureau As Vice President Of Strategy, Policy, & Plans". AP News. August 31, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  17. ^ Glasser, Susan B. ""It Was All About the Election": The Ex-White House Aide Olivia Troye on Trump's Narcissistic Mishandling of COVID-19". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  18. ^ Tapper, Jake; Herb, Jeremy (September 17, 2020). "Pence's former lead coronavirus task force aide slams Trump and endorses Biden in new video". CNN. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  19. ^ "Former CIA director endorses Biden and says Trump 'doesn't keep the country safe'". The Independent. October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  20. ^ "Republican Voters Against Trump". Republican Voters Against Trump. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  21. ^ "About Us". Republican Voters Against Trump. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  22. ^ "Here Are The Billionaires Backing This Anti-Trump Republican Campaignhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/03/12/here-are-the-billionaires-backing-this-anti-trump-republican-campaign/?sh=ba521722c59ewebsite=Forbes". {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  23. ^ Fitzgerald, Thomas (July 24, 2020). "An anti-Trump Republican group is courting 'soft' Trump supporters in Pa. with $1 million in ads". inquirer.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  24. ^ Rubin, Jennifer (August 17, 2020). "Familiar Republicans join team Biden". Washington Post.
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