 Logo of the Republican Accountability Project | |
| Formation | May 2020 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Defending Democracy Together |
| Affiliations | Never Trump movement |
| Website | Official website |
Formerly called | Republican Voters Against Trump Republican Accountability Project |
Republican Accountability (RA), formerlyRepublican Accountability Project (RAP) and, forthe 2024 presidential election,Republican Voters Against Trump (RVAT), is a political initiative launched in May 2020 byDefending Democracy Together for the2020 U.S. presidential election cycle.[1][2] The project was formed to produce a US$10 million advertising campaign focused on 100 testimonials byRepublicans,conservatives, moderates, right-leaningindependent voters, and former Trump voters explaining why they would not vote for Donald Trump in 2020.[1][2][3] By August 2020, they had collected 500 testimonials.[4]
On January 29, 2021, it transitioned to the Republican Accountability Project (RAP), which focuses on defending "Republican principles", and attacking Republicans whom they hold responsible for the2021 storming of the United States Capitol.[5] The organization purchased ad campaigns to criticize members of the Republican Party, particularly those allegedly involved in theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack.
The advertising campaign targets white college-educated suburban voters inPennsylvania,Wisconsin,Michigan,Florida,North Carolina andArizona.[2]Paul Waldman, writing forThe Washington Post compared the campaign to a similar 1964Lyndon Johnson ad called "Confessions of a Republican" giving Republicans "permission" to vote againstBarry Goldwater in the1964 presidential election.[6]
Ad space purchased on social media andFox News was scheduled to start the first week of June 2020.[7] An ad produced by RVAT featuring Trump'sdescriptions of the coronavirus pandemic was planned to air during theRepublican National Convention in Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida and Pennsylvania.[8]
After the election, thelame duck president questioned the legitimacy of the results and encouraged his supporters to demonstrate in support of overturning the results.[9] After the2021 storming of the US Capitol, RVAT transitioned to RAP, assessing legislators on their willingness to support the assertions that the election results were not legitimate and their support of the January 6th event and ofoverturning the election results.[10] In April 2021, the organization released a "GOP democracy report card" which gave 14 members of congress an A and over 100 members an F.[10][9] They credited 6% of Republicans as consistently supporting democracy, with many of those retiring or losing their seats.[11]
In August 2020, former senior official in the Trump administrationMiles Taylor filmed a spot, calling Trump "dangerous" and saying "What we saw week in and week out, for me, after two and a half years in that administration, was terrifying. We would go in to try to talk to him about a pressing national security issue—cyberattack, terrorism threat—he wasn't interested in those things. To him, they weren't priorities."[12] Later that month another former Homeland Security staffer from the Trump administration,Elizabeth Neumann, made an ad in which she endorsed Biden and called Trump "racist" and "a threat to America."[13][14][15] In September,Olivia Troye, former homeland security and counterterrorism advisor toVice President Pence and aide to theWhite House Coronavirus Task Force filmed an ad endorsing Biden.[16][17][18]
In October 2020 former CIA director and retired GeneralMichael Hayden made an ad for the group.[19] In October former GOP congressmanJim Kolbe also made an advertisement.[20][better source needed]
Organizers included Republican political strategistSarah Longwell, conservative writerBill Kristol, GOP strategistMike Murphy, and formerJeb Bush aideTim Miller.[2][21]The PAC receives funding from several prominent megadonors includingLinkedIn cofounderReid Hoffman, investorJohn Pritzker and hedge fund managerSeth Klarman.[22]
ThePhiladelphia Inquirer said the group was "waging guerrilla warfare within the GOP".[23]Washington Post columnistJennifer Rubin called the pieces "some of the best pro-Biden ads".[24]