Republican Accountability
political initiative in the US
Republican Accountability (RA), formerly Republican Accountability Project (RAP) and, for the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, Republican Voters Against Trump (RVAT), is a political initiative launched in May 2020 by Defending Democracy Together for the 2020 U.S. presidential election cycle. The project was formed to produce a US$10 million advertising campaign focused on 100 testimonials by Republicans, conservatives, moderates, right-leaning independent voters, and former Trump voters explaining why they would not vote for Donald Trump in 2020. By August 2020, they had collected 500 testimonials.
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 the January 6 United States Capitol attack. The organization purchased ad campaigns to criticize members of the Republican Party, particularly those allegedly involved in the attack.
Strategy
During the 2020 presidential campaign
The advertising campaign targets white college-educated suburban voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina and Arizona. Paul Waldman, writing for The Washington Post compared the campaign to a similar 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson ad called "Confessions of a Republican" giving Republicans "permission" to vote against Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election.
Ad space purchased on social media and Fox News was scheduled to start the first week of June 2020. An ad produced by RVAT featuring Trump's descriptions of the coronavirus pandemic was planned to air during the Republican National Convention in Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida and Pennsylvania.
After the 2020 presidential election
After the election, the lame duck president questioned the legitimacy of the results and encouraged his supporters to demonstrate in support of overturning the results.
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