GOP's legal threats sink Democrats' billboard attacks over Medicaid

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

04/16/25 12:19 PM ET


The House GOP’s campaign arm in recent weeks has successfully pressed three advertising companies to pull down Democratic billboard displays bashing vulnerable Republicans over Medicaid — a setback to Democratic campaigners hoping to make health care a liability for battleground Republicans around the country.

In a series of cease and desist letters, the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) said the imposing roadside ads — sponsored by a splinter group of the top Democratic super PAC in six battleground districts — promoted “patently false” claims against the targeted GOP incumbents, warning the companies that they would be complicit in defaming those lawmakers if the billboards were left up for public consumption. The threat proved successful — the billboards in all six districts were taken down almost immediately.

The development, parts of which were first reported by the Washington Examiner, has buoyed Republican campaign operatives, who say it gives them a playbook for defusing Democratic messaging — which has leaned heavily on warnings that Republicans intend to gut Medicaid — heading into next year’s midterms. “This proves our argument that Democrats are lying in their Medicaid messaging, and will make it much more challenging for them to make those arguments going forward,” said Mike Marinella, national spokesperson for the NRCC.

Democrats think otherwise. They’re defending the veracity of their Medicaid campaign, saying the ad companies didn’t pull the billboards on the basis of the accuracy of the NRCC complaint but because they’re terrified of the current political moment, in which President Trump is attacking political opponents in the public and private sectors alike. “These were unfortunately decisions not based in fact, but made due to coercion and threats from anti-free speech Republicans,” said CJ Warnke, spokesperson for House Majority Forward, a liberal advocacy group closely affiliated with the House Democrats’ leading super PAC.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5251789-house-gop-democrats-medicaid-billboards/

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We need to deal with this post haste as they can go around doing the same sort of "shake downs" against other billboard companies if we pay for ads. I know MeidasTouch's earliest foray into elections was through the use of their clever and cutting billboards.

[Skittles]

1. OMFG

repukes complaining about FALSE CLAIMS, when that is LITERALLY ALL THEY CAMPAIGN ON

[gab13by13]

2. The RNC chairman, Whatley, is a lawyer.

[Lovie777]

3. For telling the truth.................

[NoMoreRepugs]

4. Make the ads hypothetical - "Do really trust "name" to save YOUR Medicare or Social Security" or some variation thereof.

[Ursus Rex]

5. It's 100% time to evolve instead of hiring the same thinking again and again.

Your suggestion is cool bc it uses the "question mark as a prophylactic against accusations of wrongdoing"* construction and that sort of new direction is the only thing that can work.

Well, that and huge turnout, but you have to motivate people ...

*Jon Stewart came up with that phrase years ago.

[ChazInAz]

15. Just asking questions.

[Basso8vb]

6. Fuck those fucking nazi fucks.

We will come for them.

[stillcool]

7. lying liars...ordinary people need to speak up

splainin how it is impossible for the GOP to reduce the government to the extent they want without cutting medicaid...or splainin how the GOP has been wanting to destroy Social Security and Medcaid, since it's existence. Regular people need to be schooled in this shit.

[Cheezoholic]

8. THIS is what his supposed billion dollar legal "war chest" is really for n/t

[SupportSanity]

9. Agreed.

"We need to deal with this post haste as they can go around doing the same sort of "shake downs" against other billboard companies if we pay for ads. I know MeidasTouch's earliest foray into elections was through the use of their clever and cutting billboards."

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

10. If they take the ads down, do they have to refund money to the ad buyer?

[moonshinegnomie]

11. the time for ameasure responses has passed. we are in a war for our survival

its time for direct action. nothing shoudl be off heh table. if the democrats cant have billboards then start taking down GOP ones. deface them or literally rip them down.

[DoBW]

12. Let Dem lawyers like Conway put 'em up

then when magats start huffing and puffing they'll actually have to lawyer it out

[calimary]

13. So? Find more new places to post these billboards.

Figure out a way around it. Heck, that's what the GOP does all the time.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. There are a handful of often RW-loon owners who have a corner of that market

Clear Channel (Outdoor) spent decades buying up other companies that handled billboards. The parent went bankrupt and has been coming out of that process (the radio station entity having gone private being bought by vulture capitalists).

Ironically - I just saw CC Outdoor is basically "penny stock"!