Pro-Democratic group slams Trump’s coronavirus response in Midwest ad campaign

A Democratic-allied group dedicated to defending the Affordable Care Act is launching a five-figure ad buy in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin blasting President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Protect Our Care’s ad, which will run on cable television in select markets, opens with the image of an anxiety-ridden, middle-aged woman wearing a surgical mask looking out a window. It then transitions to shots of first responders and doctors in protective gear, then to images of people waiting in line and filling out unemployment applications.

“President Trump’s failure to prepare America for the coronavirus crisis has made Michigan less safe,” a narrator says in the ad targeting that state. “We don’t have nearly enough tests. Our hospitals are overwhelmed. Doctors and nurses don’t have the masks, ventilators and supplies they need.

“And now more and more Michiganders are out of work,” the narrator intones.

The montage of images from the crisis are overlaid with media headlines and excerpts tailored for each state, such as a report from Michigan Bridge magazine stating “Michigan coronavirus cases surge with more testing but shortage remains” and an excerpt from The Philadelphia Inquirer reporting “Pa. coronavirus shutdown wreaks havoc on economy as new unemployment claims top 645,000.”

The ad tells viewers that “families need a steady and trusted leader, but Donald Trump has failed that test.”

President Trump has botched the response to this crisis from the beginning, and now those on the front lines of the #Coronavirus response are paying the price of his failed leadership. Wisconsin families need a leader, but @realDonaldTrump has failed that test. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/a9lq35iaTR

— Protect Our Care (@ProtectOurCare) April 1, 2020

Organizers say the ad campaign will run for the rest of this week and into next week.

“President Trump wasted precious time by refusing to listen to medical experts and instead of taking responsibility has lied, spewed misinformation and blamed those on the front lines for his failure to provide them with the testing and protective equipment they need,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse.

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that it would not reopen the Affordable Care Act’s enrollment window for uninsured Americans during the pandemic, as Democrats have demanded.

Despite sharp criticism from Democrats, Trump’s approval rating has remained solid.

A Gallup poll from late March showed that 60 percent of Americans approved of his handling of the COVID-19 response, while 49 percent approved of the job he’s doing generally, the highest of his presidency.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted from March 22 to March 25 showed that 52 percent of registered voters approved his handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and 49 percent of registered voters approved of his job performance.