Smear merchant who swiftboated John Kerry comes to Trump's rescue as campaign flounders: report

A Republican campaign consultant who led the "Swift Boat Veterans" smear on former Secretary of State John Kerry during his run for the presidency is making plans to come to Donald Trump's rescue as his re-election campaign flounders.

According to a report from Politico, Chris LaCivita will head up the Preserve America PAC that is expected to spend close to $30 million to prop up the president with a substantial chunk of the money coming from longtime Republican supporters like Las Vegas casino owner Sheldon Adelson and Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus.

As Politico's Alex Isenstadt notes, "The move comes as Republicans express mounting concern over the drubbing Trump has been taking on TV. The president in August went dark in several battleground states and in Wisconsin was outspent more than eight to one, according to the media tracking firm Advertising Analytics. In Florida, Trump was outpaced by Biden more than three to one."

According to the report, the initial burst of ads will begin running in key battleground states including Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Iowa, and Georgia at a cost of $25 million.

The ads are expected to go heavy on Donald Trump's law and order talking points, with an initial spot highlighting the widow of an Arizona police officer who was killed in the line of duty.

Isenstadt notes that LaCivita's Swift Boat ads, "... featured direct-to-camera testimonials from veterans who served with Kerry in the Vietnam War. They accused the then-Democratic nominee of exaggerating his war record and disparaging American troops upon his return from Vietnam. Kerry adamantly denied the accusations, but they caused massive damage to his campaign."

The report goes on to note that Adelson's involvement comes a week after he took part in a contentious phone call with the president over his lack of support in the 2020 election.