Democratic super PAC quotes Reagan in anti-Trump ad set to air on Fox News: ‘Are you better off?’

A Democratic super PAC is launching an anti-President Trump ad that uses former President Reagan’s comments in a 1980 presidential debate when he was challenging then-President Carter. 

The ad is set to air exclusively on Fox News over the course of the next week starting Thursday as part of a six-figure national ad buy, according to information first shared with The Hill. 

The ad, launched by the super PAC MeidasTouch, features Reagan’s famous debate moment when he asked the country if it was “better off” than it was four years ago. 

“All of you will go to the polls and make a decision. I think when you make that decision it might be well if you would ask yourself, are you better off than you were four years ago?” Reagan asks as the ad cuts to clips of Trump and the state of the country during his tenure as president. 

“Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? If you don’t think that this course that we’ve been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have,” Reagan adds as the ad cuts to a clip of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. 

It’s the latest ad the super PAC, which was formed by three brothers — Ben, Brett and Jordan Meiselas — during the coronavirus pandemic, is launching backing Biden in the race. 

The progressive super PAC previously aired an ad on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC attacking Trump as “creepy.” It also launched an ad on Texas television markets calling Trump a “disaster” as part of a push to back Biden as polls signaled a closer race between the presidential candidates in the Lone Star State. 

The ad featuring Reagan also comes after Trump’s recent feud with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. The foundation requested Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee stop using Reagan’s name and image to fundraise after the Trump campaign sent a fundraising email earlier this month offering supporters two gold-colored coins with images of Trump and Reagan. 

In response to reports about the request, Trump lashed out at the foundation. 

“So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible. We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)!” Trump tweeted Sunday.

So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible. We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)! https://t.co/fOi3AROxuz

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020