Progressive groups target eight GOP senators in ad campaign ahead of impeachment trial

Four progressive groups are taking aim at eight senators in a $400,000 ad campaign announced Wednesday, ahead of the Senate impeachment trial. 

Daily Kos, MoveOn, Need to Impeach and Public Citizen are setting up digital ads, mobile billboards and field campaigns in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina and Utah, according to a press release from the groups.

These ads encourage people to contact their senators to demand a “fair impeachment trial” and to vote to convict President Trump. The groups’ campaign specifically targets and names Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah). 

The groups plan to run their material through Saturday but their run time could be extended as the Senate impeachment proceedings move forward. 

The mobile billboard from three of the groups, Daily Kos, MoveOn and Need to Impeach, says, “Trump broke the law. Senator Romney, don’t help him cover it up. Vote to convict & remove,” for Utah. The digital ad also addresses one of the state’s senators saying, “America demands a fair trial.”

Daily Kos, MoveOn and Public Citizen have also hired field organizers in the targeted states. The groups said in the release that they will announce the next strategies in the coming days and weeks.

In a statement, Nathaly Arriola, executive director of Need to Impeach, explained her organization’s reasoning for the advertisement campaign.

“The American people will not tolerate a President who abuses their power and obstructs Congress. If Senate Republicans choose to abandon their constitutional responsibility and help Donald Trump cover up his crimes, it will be a betrayal to our democracy,” she said.  

The House impeached the president on the articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in December, moving impeachment proceedings to the next stage, a Senate trial. 

But the Senate trial has yet to begin because Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has withheld the articles from the upper chamber. Pelosi announced Tuesday she would continue to hold the articles in an effort to pressure McConnell to publish the rules of the upcoming trial. 

The Senate majority leader said in a press conference Tuesday that he has the votes to pass the upper chamber’s rules for the trial not requiring witnesses or documents.