Lincoln Project Ad Asks Voters to Imagine How Young Girls Feel Watching Trump Verbally Attack Women

A new ad released by the Lincoln Project Friday chronicles President Donald Trump’s treatment of women both before and during his presidency, encouraging voters to “imagine a different future” for young girls.

© BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty
US President Donald Trump speaks with audience members after participating in an NBC News town hall event at the Perez Art Museum in Miami on October 15, 2020.

The anti-Trump political action committee has continued its blistering attacks of the president in the run-up to the November 3 election, with the latest advocating for those not yet old enough to vote.

“Imagine a young girl looking in the mirror, searching for role models in the world to give her hope that one day, she too can make a difference,” the ad’s female narrator says in its opening. “Now imagine how she feels when she watches women being verbally attacked.”

Vote for change.

Vote for her. pic.twitter.com/EYhz9HZyNv

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 16, 2020

Five clips portraying some of Trump’s harsher comments toward women over the years are spliced with the narrator throwing out descriptors, including “maligned,” “belittled,” “harassed” and insulted.”

One of Trump’s comments occurred when he berated CNN reporter Abby Phillip outside the White House in 2018 for asking a “stupid question,” telling her he watches her “a lot” and she asks “a lot of stupid questions.” Another example from that same year was Trump telling ABC News’ Cecilia Vega he knows “you’re not thinking. You never do.”

The Lincoln Project included one of Trump’s very publicized characterizations of women, when the president told CNN’s Don Lemon that there was “blood coming out of [Megyn Kelly’s] eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.”

The ad also highlights one of Trump’s more recent remarks made after the debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Joe Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, a Democrat from California.

“And this monster that was on stage with Mike Pence, who destroyed her last night, by the way,” Trump is heard saying as the ad displays images of Harris and young girls appearing to watch TV.

The one-minute-and-30-second ad transitions in its final seconds to focus on the Biden/Harris ticket, which the Lincoln Project has repeatedly endorsed in its political messaging. The narrator speaks directly to parents, reminding them that their “daughters are listening and absorbing” how Trump speaks about women.

“Now imagine a different future for her, a future with a president who doesn’t just value a female voice, but chooses one to be his right-hand woman,” the narrator says, as images of more young girls flash across the screen. “A strong woman. A woman with compassion. A woman unafraid to take on a bully.”

A now-viral clip plays of Harris reprimanding Pence at the debate: “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking. I’m speaking.”

The ad concludes with the narrator appealing to voters that their “actions on November 3 will define who” little girls look up to and see as role models.

Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.

The new Lincoln Project ad comes one day after Trump and Biden hosted dueling town hall events in lieu of the second presidential debate.

With less than three weeks until the November 3 election, pollsters said Trump “missed a big opportunity” on Thursday to narrow Biden’s lead. Betting odds showed no movement despite the president’s fiery televised town hall.

“With more low key town hall events replacing the second debate, the president— a 2/1 outsider for November’s election—missed a big opportunity to have all eyes on him and steal the attention away from odds-on favorite Joe Biden,” said Betfair Exchange spokesperson Sam Rosbottom.

In the hour before the town hall, Trump was on 2/1, according to the Betfair Exchange, while Biden was out in front at 8/15. But those odds remained static overnight, suggesting neither candidate was able to clinch a decisive victory.

While official ratings for either town hall haven’t yet been released, viewership numbers from the YouTube live streams suggest more people tuned into Biden’s town hall than Trump’s. At the end of the president’s town hall, the NBC News YouTube channel showed 153,660 viewers were watching. ABC News’ YouTube channel showed 507,445 viewers at the end of Biden’s town hall.

As of October 16, polling website FiveThirtyEight has Biden leading Trump in national opinion surveys, 52.3 to 41.8 percent.

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