In the one-minute ad, a sign with an arrow says “secret debate prep this way” as a voiceover claims “secret anonymous sources” have leaked video to The Lincoln Project of Trump’s debate prep. “The public can now gain unprecedented insight into Trump’s secret plan to win the debate,” the voice says. A hand then opens a door, showing a field full of monkeys.
“Jared Kushner attacks Chris Christie, who put Kushner’s dad in prison,” the voiceover continues, showing one monkey physically attacking another. It continues to mock Rudy Giuliani, portraying him as an ape promoting conspiracy theories about Biden.
“They fight! They fight! They fight!” the voiceover adds excitedly over a series of clips of fighting monkeys. At the end of the ad, it advises viewers to follow The Lincoln Project to keep up to date on the latest from this “zoo story drama.”
The first 2020 presidential debate was held in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday evening. Several polls released following the debate suggest that most viewers believed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden outperformed Trump.
A poll by Data for Progress showed that Biden won with a margin of 52 percent to 39 percent. CBS/YouGov found Biden ahead, but by a narrower margin of 48 percent to 41 percent, while 10 percent believed it was a tie. CNN’s poll showed that 60 percent of viewers saw Biden as the winner and just 28 percent said the same of Trump.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the debate, but it did not respond by the time of publication.
Founded in December 2019, The Lincoln Project has brought together high profile conservatives, including many current and former Republican officials—including former GOP chair Michael Steele—to oppose Trump’s reelection. The group’s website says “the priority for all patriotic Americans must be a shared fidelity to the Constitution and a commitment to defeat those candidates who have abandoned their constitutional oaths, regardless of party. Electing Democrats who support the Constitution over Republicans who do not is a worthy effort.”
In a separate ad released by The Lincoln Project early Wednesday morning, a female voiceover mocked the president’s performance in his first debate with Biden. “Your performance was, well, weak,” the voiceover says. “Your performance was weak…you failed…you’re losing Donald.”
“Your administration is falling apart. Your campaign is running out of cash and your personal finances? Ouch,” it says, as the ad plays clips from the debate. “Your presidency is nothing more than a house of cards, Donald, and it just collapsed in front of the whole world.”
