Swift Boat strategist to oversee huge pro-Trump super PAC: report

A Republican strategist who worked as an adviser to a group behind 2004 attack ads on then-Democratic nominee John Kerry’s military record will lead a pro-Trump super PAC, according to a Politico report.

Longtime Republican strategist Chris LaCivita, who previously served as a media adviser to Swift Boat Veterans, will oversee the new group, Preserve America.

The group is set to spend $30 million on TV advertising for the president in the upcoming weeks. The ads will air in several swing states, including Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Iowa and Georgia. The ad buy will comprise about $25 million in TV with the remaining $5 million being used in digital advertising, according to Politico.

The initial ads will echo President Trump’s emphasis on “law and order” messaging and his attempts to tie Democratic nominee Joe Biden to violent protests and nationwide unrest. One of the advertisements features Alyssa Cordova, whose husband was an Arizona police officer killed in the line of duty, accusing Biden of being “part of the problem” and “condoning” attacks on law enforcement.

Although Biden has said he opposes calls to defund the police, Trump campaign advertising has also frequently accused him of being anti-police. Biden has pushed back on those assertions, accusing the campaign of seeking to exploit violence.

In particular, the Biden campaign has seized on a comment by Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway suggesting scenes of violence in the streets could improve Trump’s chances of reelection.

LaCivita was a media adviser to Swift Boat Veterans when it ran ads in 2004 accusing Kerry of fabricating aspects of his service in Vietnam. Although nearly all of the veterans who served with Kerry have disputed the claims in the ads, they are seen as one of the deciding factors in Kerry’s loss.

Republican donor and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson is expected to be one of the main financial backers of the super PAC, Politico reported.

The report comes weeks after Trump reportedly accused the billionaire of insufficiently boosting his reelection campaign.