Trump Impeachment Task Force Ad Urges Americans to Call Senators, Say 'We're Counting on Them to be Patriots'
A newly formed Trump "Impeachment Task Force" with more than 100 celebrity and public figure members has unveiled its first move—an ad highlighting President Donald Trump's Ukraine scandal offenses and asking Americans to call and urge their senators "to be patriots" and remove Trump.
The minute-long video obtained by Newsweek ahead of its release online on Tuesday shows clips of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announcing Trump's impeachment inquiry, of Trump encouraging China to investigate 2020 Democratic front runner Joe Biden, and of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani admitting he asked Ukraine to look into Biden.
"This is a clear and unprecedented abuse of power. No one is above the law," a voice over says. "Contact your senators today. Urge them to vote country over party."
The voice over concludes: "When the time comes, we're counting on them to be patriots and vote to remove Trump from office." The ad ends with "call your senators now," along with a phone number for viewers to do so.
Public figures on the task force, created by The Democratic Coalition, advised leaders on the overall messaging, tone and theme, according to the coalition's co-founder Scott Dworkin. The task force plans to air it on cable networks such as CNN and MSNBC later this week.
"Success for the ad would be the Senate phone lines being flooded and that pressure equaling more support for the inquiry and for impeachment and removal," Dworkin told Newsweek. "Our main message in our first ad is that the Ukraine scandal alone warrants Trump's impeachment and removal from office."
BOOM: Mark Hamill just joined the #ImpeachmentTaskForce! Happy The Force is with us! You can help us get our first ad on air by chipping in below. It will be released tomorrow. @HamillHimself https://t.co/dVCUJYq9tg
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) October 14, 2019
The ad is being paid for with money raised by the task force. Its finances will be disclosed in mid-January in its Federal Election Commission filing.
"This is the first of many ads which will outline Trump's scandals that warrant his impeachment and removal," Dworkin said.
The task force, formed two weeks ago, now has more than 1,000 members including more than 100 who are Hollywood stars, elected officials and activists.
Some of the well-known members on board so far include:
- Kirk Acevedo, actor
- Tom Arnold, actor
- Kurt Bardella, former Republican House Oversight Committee spokesman
- Ady Barkan, progressive activist and lawyer
- Lea Black, author and TV personality
- Misha Collins, actor
- Morgan Fairchild, actress
- Mia Farrow, actress
- John Fugelsang, actor
- Andrew Gillum, former Tallahassee mayor
- Fred Guttenberg, gun control activist
- Mark Hamill, actor
- David Jolly, former congressman
- Steve Kerrigan, former Democratic National Convention CEO
- John Leguizamo, actor
- Renato Mariotti, former federal prosecutor
- Debra Messing, actress
- Alyssa Milano, actress
- Kristin Mink, teacher and activist
- Peter Morley, patient advocate
- Martina Navratilova, former tennis player
- Stefan Lessard, musician
- Rosie O'Donnell, comedian
- Ron Perlman, actor
- Michael Rapaport, actor
- Otep Shamaya, singer
- Nancy Sinatra, singer
- Grant Stern, author
- George Takei, actor
