Kathy Griffin, Samantha Bee Targeted in GOP Campaign Ad

The Republican National Committee has released a new campaign ad for the upcoming midterm elections. In the one-minute video posted on Tuesday, the GOP takes aim at a handful of Hollywood stars who have been outspoken against President Donald Trump.

The ad, titled “The Left in 2018: Unhinged,” starts with a voiceover of campaign speeches from former 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. “A few years ago, ideas that we talked about were thought to be fringe ideas, radical ideas, extremist ideas,” he is heard saying. “Those ideas are now mainstream.”

The video begins with two high-profile Hollywood-Trump moments: Kathy Griffin holding a depiction of Trump’s bloodied head from her photoshoot stunt last year and Samantha Bee calling first daughter Ivanka Trump a “feckless c—” on her TBS talk show. The ad also includes audio from Michelle Wolf’s controversial White House Correspondents’ Dinner monologue, along with soundbites from Johnny Depp and Madonna.

Griffin, who is candid about how the stunt has impacted her life, took to Twitter to fire back. “The GOP has used video from my Trump mask photo shoot in their latest web ad. They’ve also included @MaxineWaters and @iamsambee — I’m in good company,” the comedian wrote. “Is this the best you got guys? A comic’s photoshoot…while your president is keeping children in internment camps? Fuck you.”

The @GOP has used video from my Trump mask photo shoot in their latest web ad. They’ve also included @MaxineWaters and @iamsambee – I’m in good company. Is this the best you got guys? A comic’s photoshoot…while your president is keeping children in internment camps?

Fuck You pic.twitter.com/dj8yeKME2c

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) June 27, 2018

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Griffin — who is currently on the U.S. leg of her Laugh Your Head Off world tour — opened up about the scandal and revealed why she will continue to defend the female comics who have criticized the president.

“From what I know of [Bee] — and I don’t know her very well at all — she seems to be confident and have real strong convictions about her abilities and talent. You’ve got to remember, those are two things the president doesn’t possess: abilities or talent. She will be a better talk show host and comedian than he will ever be a president. So yes, I think she will be the victor,” said Griffin. “I just hope she’s getting the support she needs because I didn’t have much support. I get a lot of joy and gratification out of supporting people like Sam Bee and Michelle Wolf. Remember, I was in the room during Michelle’s monologue.”

She added: “The Michelle set was tight, it was appropriate. It was supposed to be a roast. If Trump wanted to come to it, he certainly had the opportunity. I’d like to think — when I’m having especially egotistical days — that he didn’t come because of me. Trust me, I would have had several things to say to his faces and his chins and his asses.”

Watch the video ad above.

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