In new Lincoln Project ad, former Navy SEAL asks if Trump is 'a coward' afraid of Putin or 'complicit'

The Lincoln Project released its latest ad on Tuesday, featuring a former Navy SEAL demanding answers from President Trump on what he knows about Russia allegedly offering and paying bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Dan Barkhuff is an emergency room doctor and founder of Veterans for Responsible Leadership. In the ad, titled "Betrayed," Barkhuff declares that "any commander-in-chief with a spine" who learned about such a plot "would be stomping the living s--t out of some Russians right now — diplomatically, economically, or if necessary, with the sort of asymmetric warfare they're using to send our kids home in body bags."

Trump reportedly first found out about the bounties in 2019, yet no action has been taken, leading Barkhuff to wonder why Trump hasn't taken a public stand against Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Mr. Trump, you're either a coward who can't stand up to an ex-KGB goon or you're complicit," he said. "Which is it?"

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Barkhuff described himself as being a "pro-life, gun-owning combat veteran," and said it is easy to see Trump "for what he is: a coward. We need to send this draft dodger back to his golf courses — the lives of our troops depend on it." Catherine Garcia

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