STICKS AND STONES

Trump Personally Complained About Conservative Ad That Called Him an ‘Idiot,’ Says Report

The ads were supposed to harm GOP Senate hopeful J.D. Vance, but reportedly ended up upsetting Trump.

Last month, a pro-Trump conservative group ran a million-dollar TV advertising blitz in Ohio designed to damage GOP Senate hopeful J.D. Vance’s reputation among Trump fans. According to Politico, it featured footage of Vance speaking in 2016 when he referred to himself as a “Never Trump guy” and disparaged the ex-president as an “idiot” who he found to be “noxious” and “offensive.” While the ads, bought by the pro-Trump Club for Growth group, were meant to harm Vance’s standing among the MAGA loyal ahead of next year’s primary, Politico reports that they actually only succeeded in upsetting Trump himself. Trump reportedly called Club for Growth President David McIntosh to complain about the ads, apparently fearing that Vance’s description of him could harm his reputation. Politico reports that, after the call, McIntosh presented Trump with polling showing that the ads didn’t harm his standing among Ohio GOP voters. Club for Growth didn’t comment on the report, and Trump’s spokespeople didn’t directly address the claim that he complained about the ads.