Liberal super PAC to launch ads slamming Trump’s coronavirus response

The liberal super PAC American Bridge will launch new digital ads in key battleground states on Thursday warning that President Trump’s response to the coronavirus has been insufficient and that his administration is putting the public at risk.

The new ad, which will run in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, is part of a broader push by American Bridge to reach swing voters and those who backed Trump in 2016 but are open to supporting Democrats in 2020.

The ad cuts together news reports about Trump’s proposed budget cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other government agencies responsible for studying and responding to infectious diseases.

It also uses video footage of Trump downplaying concerns about coronavirus.

“A lot of people think that goes away in April, with the heat,” Trump says in the ad. “We’re in great shape.”

The ad closes with text that says, “We deserve better.”

“Coronavirus has the potential to infect millions of Americans and cripple our economy,” said American Bridge president Bradley Beychok. “Donald Trump’s incompetent response and reckless policies have placed people at severe risk. Hardworking families deserve far better than Trump’s totally inept and irresponsible leadership in the face of such a dire emergency, and we’re going to make sure voters know just how dangerously the president is failing them.”

Trump and other top administration officials will give a briefing on Wednesday evening on their efforts to contain the virus. The White House has asked Congress for $2.5 billion in emergency funding to develop a vaccine and for other measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.

The briefing comes after a top U.S. health official said Tuesday the spread of coronavirus in the country appears to be inevitable, while warning that the disruptions could be “severe.”

American Bridge has put millions of dollars behind advertisement currently running in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania targeting disaffected Trump voters and featuring testimonials from those who supported the president in 2016 but have grown frustrated with his policies or style.