The Trump Campaign wasn’t kidding when it sent a cease and desist letter to television stations carrying this add:
Donald Trump issued a cease and desist letter to stop our ad from running because he doesn’t want Americans to know the truth about his failed leadership. Help keep it on the air by donating herehttps://t.co/ZeRIriA3Y8 pic.twitter.com/Jdh1GY9HHS
— Priorities USA (@prioritiesUSA) March 26, 2020
because now one of those television stations is being sued. From the Trump Campaign press release:
Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. today filed a lawsuit against WJFW-NBC of Rhinelander, WI for defamation in the wake of an advertisement carried by the station that contained intentionally false and defamatory statements about President Trump. The ad produced by Priorities USA, a super PAC supporting Joe Biden’s candidacy, and broadcast by WJFW-NBC, used digitally manipulated clips of President Trump’s voice to fabricate unsubstantiated meaning in the President’s words. The suit, filed in Price County, WI circuit court, followed a cease-and-desist letter and supporting documentation sent on March 25, 2020. In spite of the letter and documentation, WJFW-NBC continued to run the defamatory ad.
The station owner, for the record, seems a little baffled:
“Why they selected my little station in Northern Wisconsin, I have no idea,” Rockfleet Broadcasting President R. Joseph Fuchs told TPM on the phone Monday. Rockfleet owns three stations including WJFW-TV, the NBC affiliate in Rhinelander, Wisconsin targeted by the campaign. [TPM]
Because, Mr. Fuchs, this is how bullies operate. They pick out a little guy who they think can’t fight back and make an example out of him. In the realm of the law, now they have a precedent they can hide behind. For the record, the press release includes a number of quotes which they believe prove that Trump is being misquoted. I’ll leave that for a court to decide.
But I think Priorities USA, the creator of the ad, should double down by enhancing the ad. As I detailed here, add in the following information:
- Trump’s remark that he “always knew this was a serious pandemic”.
- The dates and sizes of campaign rallies prior to that remark (I do not believe he’s held any since).
- Tote them up for a grand total of his supporters that he’s intentionally endangered.
The sputtering would be impressive.
