Gardner’s Deceptive Ad: Falsely Takes Credit for Coronavirus Response While Standing with Trump “100%”

April Denver Post Editorial: Gardner & Trump Are “Playing Political Games With Lives”

There’s a glaring omission from Senator Cory Gardner’s first TV ad: any mention of the president he’s stood with “100%” – including through President Trump’s failed response to this pandemic. Facing underwater favorability six months out from Election Day, Gardner has zeroed in on a deceptive strategy to mislead voters about his record of selling out Colorado.

“Senator Gardner’s deceptive ads won’t change the fact that he’s stood by President Trump 100 percent of the time as they’ve played political games with lifesaving medical supplies and tried to yank health care coverage away from Coloradans when we need it most,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll. “Coloradans can see through his Washington spin and know that Senator Gardner is just another politician selling out Colorado for Donald Trump.”

Don’t fall for Gardner’s slick deception. Here are the facts: 

GARDNER AND TRUMP ARE “PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES WITH LIVES”

• After Trump’s FEMA seized 500 ventilators from Colorado only to award 100 back as a political favor to Gardner, the Denver Post editorial board condemned Trump and Gardner for “the worst imaginable form of corruption — playing political games with lives.”

• Gardner boasted that he and Mike Pence got 5,000 tests for a JBS meatpacking plant, but the workers never got tested. JBS and its employees have donated almost $38,000 to Gardner’s campaigns.

• Ignoring warnings, the U.S. sent millions of face masks overseas earlier this year as Trump failed to invoke the Defense Production Act to produce ventilators, masks and tests. While some doctors and nurses were making homemade PPE, the Trump administration snapped up some of the first shipments of surgical masks from Taiwan for White House staff while they misled the American public about masks’ ability to stop the spread. Gardner remained silent.

GARDNER STOOD BY TRUMP “100%” AS THEY DOWNPLAYED CORONAVIRUS, FAILED TO PREPARE

• In late February, Trump proclaimed that Gardner has been with him “100%” as they rallied and fundraised together without mentioning the coronavirus threat. 

• Gardner did not support early efforts for widespread testing or PPE production and stood by Trump as he failed to take early warnings of doctors and scientists seriously, even as the coronavirus was likely already spreading in Colorado.

• Gardner has refused to hold Trump accountable for his pandemic failures, instead defending Trump on hydroxychloroquine and saying “I think it’s important to not look and try to provide some kind of a grade.” 

• Gardner even tried to blame the impeachment trial for Congress’ own failure to act.

GARDNER AND TRUMP ARE IN COURT TRYING TO KICK MILLIONS OFF THEIR INSURANCE, END PRE-EXISTING CONDITION PROTECTIONS

• Even during the coronavirus crisis, Gardner is still supporting a GOP lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act and end protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Trump doubled down last week, saying he wants to “terminate health care under Obamacare.” 

• Gardner built his career crusading against the ACA, voting at least 13 times to repeal or defund the health care law — and he does not have a plan to fully defend coverage protections for the 2.4 million Coloradans with pre-existing conditions.

• After saying that “donors are furious” the GOP failed to repeal the ACA, Gardner helped lead efforts to pass the GOP tax scam and spark the current legal challenge to the law.

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