Former Barack Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett tweeted his frustration Friday with Tom Steyer over his super PAC's new inflammatory anti-Republican ad, calling it a waste of money and "counterproductive and annoying."
The left-wing billionaire's NextGen America released an ad called "Mothers Day," depicting a woman talking about her troubled son's actions growing up, such as stealing from poorer kids and screaming anti-abortion messages at women. At the end of the ad, she reveals her son's "college buddies" are the tiki-torch wielding white supremacists at last August's rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
"Only a mother can catch the signs early," the mother says. "This Mother's Day, talk to your child about the GOP. I wish I had."
The on-screen graphic then calls on the viewer to "vote them out."
Lovett linked to Daily Beast reporter Lachlan Markay's tweet of the ad and wrote, "WHAT ARE THESE TOM STEYER ADS AND WHO DO THEY HELP."
WHAT ARE THESE TOM STEYER ADS AND WHO DO THEY HELP https://t.co/poXEUXWugQ
— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) May 11, 2018
He then followed up, "Hey, @TomSteyer. The ads are counterproductive and annoying, you're not helping anyone but yourself (maybe), and you're wasting money that could really help when we're in the fight for our political lives."
Hey, @TomSteyer. The ads are counterproductive and annoying, you're not helping anyone but yourself (maybe), and you're wasting money that could really help when we're in the fight for our political lives.
— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) May 11, 2018
Lovett co-hosts the progressive podcast "Pod Save America" with fellow Obama alumni Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor.
Steyer is also bankrolling a multimillion-dollar impeachment campaign against President Donald Trump, irking national Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). He likened Trump to Adolf Hitler on Thursday, suggesting he needed to be impeached before he committed any acts on Hitler's level.