New Ad Campaign Targets Ernst As She Doubles Down On Impeachment

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is one of five senators at the center of a new six-figure ad campaign knocking the Republicans for aligning themselves with the Trump Administration and refusing to call witnesses to testify at his impeachment trial.

Majority Forward, a D.C.-based political non-profit, will run two 30-second ads statewide in Iowa, North Carolina, Maine, Arizona and Colorado to speak out against Sens. Ernst, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Martha McSally and Cory Gardner.

“Senate Republicans have broken their oath of impartiality and their promise to the American people by playing along with Mitch McConnell’s cover-up,” said J.B. Poersch, president of Senate Majority PAC, in a statement. “By refusing to get the facts and demand a fair trial from the onset, Senate Republicans are putting party politics over principle.

“Our new ad campaign urges these vulnerable incumbents to do their jobs and a demand a fair trial now,” he said.

In “Oath,” airing online and on television streaming services like Hulu, the ad implores viewers to “tell Sen. Ernst to conduct a fair trial.”

As a senator, the ad points out that Ernst “took an oath to be impartial in the impeachment trial, but refusing to allow the admission of: new evidence, witnesses, relevant documents, is looking out for Joni Ernst, not us.”

“Rigged” plays clips of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell talking about how he would work in coordination with the Trump Administration through the impeachment trial.

“And instead of pushing for a fair trial, Joni Ernst is just following orders,” the narrator says. “She answers when Trump and McConnell call by refusing to hear from witnesses and accept new evidence.”

Since the impeachment trial got underway Jan. 21, Ernst has largely waved off the charges against the president, instead deflecting from the substance of the trial to criticize the United States’ past involvement in Ukraine.

.@SenJoniErnst:

How did the Obama Administration react to the invasion of Ukraine?

They reacted by sending blankets.

Blankets don't throw lead downrange.@realdonaldtrump provided lethal aid to the Ukrainian people—actually allowed them an opportunity to defend themselves. pic.twitter.com/rXPy5976We

— Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) January 24, 2020

Today, Reuters reported that when she was asked about Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine into launching an investigation of Joe Biden, Ernst said: “He will do what he wants to do. It’s probably not the way I would have handled it.”

By Elizabeth Meyer
Posted 1/27/20