Regretful Trump Voter Featured In Liberal Political Ad Did Not Actually Vote In 2016

Local news source Erie News Now obtained Graham's voting records.

Here's what they had to say:

It's a political ad that's been running frequently in the Erie television market.  Fairview Township resident Mark Graham tells the television audience that he voted for Donald Trump in 2016, and that he will not vote for Trump in 2020.

 

Erie County voting records obtained by Erie News Now reveal Graham did not vote for Trump in 2016.  The records show Graham did not vote in either the primary or the general election.  Graham was interviewed today by Erie News Now and was told that the records do not show him casting a vote in 2016.

 

"I don't know.  Maybe I didn't," he said.  I don't know that.  I thought I did to be honest with you."

The Morning Call also said the following about the glaring lie in American Bridge's anti-Trump ad:

An Erie County man who describes regret over voting for President Donald Trump in 2016 didn’t vote for him, according to news organizations that checked his voting record.

    

Mark Graham is featured in videos created by America Bridge, a Democrat-supporting political action committee, or PAC.

     

The ads are part of a $5 million advertising campaign being waged by American Bridge in the key swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Graham says in an ad, "I voted for Donald Trump in 2016 because I thought he would make a change."

     

Asked whether change has occurred, Graham replies "Not for the good." Graham later states Trump "plays favorites for people like himself ... He doesn't understand life around here."

     

The ad began running in the Erie area in November. Earlier this month, Erie-area news organization JET 24 checked county voting records and discovered Graham didn't vote in 2016.

In response to news that Graham did not actually vote for Trump, the GOP is demanding for the ad to be taken down and for an apology.

The Washington Times had this to say about the GOP's response:

After it was learned that he didn’t vote in 2016, Mr. Graham told Erie News Now that he’s a registered Republican and that the ad nevertheless represents his views about the president. He said he participated in a focus group involving Republicans who supported Democrat Ron DiNicola in his failed bid for a U.S. House seat in 2018.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

But the Trump campaign noted Friday that American Bridge has yet to take down its ad or apologize.

                                                                                                                                                        

“Well, well,” tweeted Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. “Guy who says he voted for Trump and now regrets it … didn’t actually vote for Trump. In fact, didn’t vote at all in 2016. It’s cool, though. Democrats at American Bridge (liberal PAC) still put him in an ad and won’t take it down.”

                                                                                                                                                        

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania also has called for the PAC to take down the ad and apologize.

                                                                                                                                    

“The ad is false, its premise is false and it’s messenger has been discredited,” said state Republican Chairman Lawrence Tabas in a statement. “The organization could easily have determined that Graham had not voted in 2016 by checking the publicly available records at the Erie County elections office.”