WA-08: In TV ad, Democratic candidate Jason Rittereiser lobs 'treason' charge at Trump
Attempting to stand out in a contested primary for Washington’s 8th Congressional District, Democratic candidate Jason Rittereiser is running a TV ad accusing President Trump of “treason.”
The 30-second ad — an escalation of rhetoric ahead of the 2018 midterms — hits Trump’s controversial remarks at the recent Helsinki summit, in which the president made comments siding with Russian leader Vladimir Putin instead of U.S. intelligence agencies on the question of Russia’s interference in U.S. elections. Amid bipartisan criticism, the president later claimed he misspoke.
Rittereiser’s ad goes hard against Trump and Republican candidate Dino Rossi, who is campaigning to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, in the 8th District contest.
Looking directly into the camera, Rittereiser calls the race a choice between “Trump supporter Dino Rossi, or someone who will stand up to this administration.” He then breaks out the “t” word.
“I became a criminal prosecutor to protect people and this country from harm,” Rittereiser says. “We just witnessed President Trump denounce American law enforcement and let Russia get away with attacking our nation. Here in Ellensburg, we call that treason.”
The ad’s release comes as Rittereiser tries to advance past the Aug. 7 “top two” primary and face Rossi as his likely opponent in November. A former King County prosecutor who grew up in Ellensburg, Rittereiser is competing with two primary Democratic rivals, former federal public-health official Shannon Hader and pediatrician Kim Schrier.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/in-tv-ad-democratic-congressional-candidate-jason-rittereiser-lobs-treason-charge-at-trump/
