Jesse Scheckner
A new Lincoln Project ad features a familiar voice putting Donald Trump on blast for spreading baseless claims that Haitian immigrants are eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio.
It’s the voice of Modern Family’s Ed O’Neill, whom many first got to know as Al Bundy on “Married… with Children.” O’Neill was born and raised in Youngstown, an Ohio city three hours from Springfield with a similarly modest population size today of 60,000 residents.
Appropriately, O’Neill’s commentary during the 90-second spot, “A Place Like Springfield,” centers largely on the warmth and charms of small towns and how they can offer the soil from which the American dream grows.
“Springfield was badly in need of workers to fill the jobs its townspeople couldn’t or wouldn’t take, so these Haitian immigrants found their way across the world, hoping they too would have a chance at the same dream our forefathers had when they came to America,” O’Neill says in voiceover.
“And then a vicious, xenophobic lie turned Springfield upside-down.”
The ad then flashes to masked anti-immigration protesters holding up a banner declaring, “Haitians have no home here.” Then it shows a clip of Trump’s shocking debate stage claim that Haitian immigrants are “eating the dogs (and) eating the cats” of Springfield residents.
There is no evidence Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating pets in Springfield, despite insistence to the contrary by Trump, vice presidential nominee JD Vance and allies like Laura Loomer and Elon Musk.
“Who the hell are these people?” O’Neill says, outrage evident in his voice.
“Look, this election isn’t just about Springfield; this is about your town, your community and your values. There’s only one person out there who stands for decency, for opportunity, who shares our values. It’s time to let her lead. It’s time to stand for the principles and freedoms that built this country. Because I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. I still think this country is great. It’s time to be a man. Vote for a woman.”
The latest Lincoln Project ad follows other recent ones hitting Trump on his abortion policies, a possible backstab by Vance, another lambasting Vance as a “sick monster” for his stance on domestic abuse and a September spot in which actor Sam Elliott also tells viewers to “be a man and vote for a woman.”
“Donald Trump doesn’t know a damn thing about what makes small town America great,” Lincoln Project Chief of Staff Ryan Wiggins said in a statement.
“From the shared values of hard work and lending a helping hand no matter the circumstances, America’s small towns like Springfield, Ohio are a defining part of the tapestry that makes America. Voters see through Trump’s divisive and demeaning rhetoric and will defeat him resoundingly in November.”
The General Election is on Nov. 5.
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Featured image via Wiki Commons (license).
One comment
Michael K
October 11, 2024 at 12:38 pm
It’s true. Donald Trump has a very dark, dim, and hateful view of America. He’s a sick and twisted, toxic old man – conjuring up boogeymen and spreading fear based on evil lies. And he’s feeding the worst instincts of otherwise decent people.
My ancestors came to America because they were driven out of a country overtaken by xenophobia, hate, and intolerance. I believe in a leader who appeals to what Abraham Lincoln called our better angels and better selves. That’s one of many good reasons I’m voting for Kamala Harris – the only candidate in this election who stands for decency.