A leading conservative advocacy group is set to hit Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump over his past support for left-leaning positions, including expanded eminent domain takings, higher taxes and national health care.
Club for Growth Action, the political arm of the fiscally conservative Club for Growth, is spending $1 million on two 30-second spots to run throughout Iowa, where the first 2016 caucus will be held.
“Eventually, Donald Trump can’t hide from his own record and the things he has said,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh told TheBlaze during a press conference Tuesday. “Our job is to tell voters directly in those early primary states that this is what Donald Trump stands for. He is the worst kind of politician: He’ll tell you what he wants you to hear. He’ll sound like the strong man who will take on Washington, but in fact, what he would do for the economy would be devastating.”
The first ad, which focuses on the theme “Trump: Just another politician,” begins with images of Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and asks, “Which presidential candidate supports higher taxes, national health care and the Wall Street bailout?”
It then answers, “It’s Donald Trump.”
The ad follows up with repeated clips of Trump saying, “In many cases, I probably identify more as a Democrat.”
The second ad goes after Trump for his support of "eminent domain abuse" stemming from the Supreme Court's 2005 Kelo decision, which, says Club for Growth, "gave government massive new power to take private property and give it to corporations." The spot includes video of a Trump interview with Fox News about Kelo, during which he says, “I happen to agree with it 100 percent.”
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to inquiries from TheBlaze. However, Trump did post a tweet saying, "Little respected Club For Growth asked me for $1,000,000 - I said "NO". Now they are spending lobbyist and special interest money on ads!"
Little respected Club For Growth asked me for $1,000,000 - I said "NO". Now they are spending lobbyist and special interest money on ads!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2015
McIntosh said Trump is the worst Republican to run on economic issues.
“Trump is the most liberal candidate on fiscal policy in the whole field, with the possible exception of Bernie Sanders,” McIntosh said. “His angry style may reflect deep frustration Americans have with Washington leaders who have failed to keep their promises. But the policies he’d implement would benefit himself and his own interests, not the American people.”
