'Sully' Sullenberger savages Trump's 'lethal lies and incompetence' in new Lincoln Project ad

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who often plays a hero in the movies, endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden over the weekend, and on Tuesday morning, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, a real-life hero played by Tom Hanks in a movie, urged America to vote President Trump out.
Sullenberger, who famously landed an airliner on the Hudson River in 2009, said in 2018 that while he had been a Republican for "the first 85 percent of my adult life," he was urging voters that year to choose "leaders committed to rebuilding our common values," not the "cowardly, complicit enablers" who were "acting against the interests of the United States, our allies, and democracy." Biden evidently fits in his "common values" camp.
"From my service as an Air Force officer and a fighter pilot, I knew that serving a cause greater than oneself is the highest calling," Sully said in an ad for VoteVets and The Lincoln Project. "And it's in that highest calling of leadership that Donald Trump has failed us so miserably. Now, it's up to us to overcome his attacks on our very democracy, knowing nearly a quarter million Americans won't have a voice — casualties of his lethal lies and incompetence. Eleven years ago I was called to my moment. Now we are all called to this moment."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We are in control of this nation's destiny," Sullenberger said. "All we have to do is vote him out."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Store closings could accelerate throughout 2025
Under the Radar Major brands like Macy's and Walgreens are continuing to shutter stores
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: February 20, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: February 20, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Russia frees US teacher Marc Fogel in murky 'exchange'
Speed Read He was detained in Moscow for carrying medically prescribed marijuana
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Hamas pauses Gaza hostage release, upending ceasefire
Speed Read Hamas postponed the next scheduled hostage release 'until further notice,' accusing Israel of breaking the terms of their ceasefire deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Baltic States unplug from Russian grid, join EU's
Speed Read Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are disconnecting from the Soviet-era electricity grid to join the EU's network
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 11 killed in Sweden adult ed school shooting
Speed Read The worst mass shooting in Swedish history took place in Orebro
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Thailand
Speed Read The law grants same-sex spouses the same rights as married heterosexual couples
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Top Israeli general to resign over Oct. 7 failures
Speed Read Herzi Halevi took responsibility for his failure to prevent the attacks that sparked Israel's war in Gaza
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
80 dead in Colombia amid uptick in guerrilla fighting
Speed Read This was the country's deadliest wave of violence since the peace accords set by President Gustavo Petro in 2016
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published