WASHINGTON — A super PAC supporting John Kasich is launching a new website, online ad, and computer game using Donald Trump's steak business to go after the candidate.
The video, titled "What's At Steak," shows Trump extolling the virtues of Trump Steaks while dissatisfied reviews of the steaks pop up at the bottom of the screen. "Don't have buyer's remorse," the ad, which is being released on Friday, concludes.
The video is on a "Put A Steak In Trump" website along with a computer game of the same name. Those who donate $2 can play the full version of the game, which has four levels: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. The high score board will include winking references to Trump's ex-wives and to people he's attacked, like Ivana_01, Ms_Maples_02, Bloody_Megyn, and Rosie_OD.
The game is similar to Pac Man, but the player controls a little Trump head that chomps on steaks and hot dogs. "The game is intentionally primitive — like Trump's campaign," said Matt David, chief strategist for the super PAC, New Day for America.
New Day for America is also planning to launch a TV ad targeting Trump in New Hampshire next week.
A source familiar with the steak campaign said the super PAC is spending approximately $250,000 on it. It's the largest digital buy of the campaign.
New Day for America has sought to aggressively oppose Trump's candidacy, promising a $2.5 million investment in New Hampshire against him. The group has repeatedly gone after Trump, questioning his ability to be commander-in-chief, using old footage of Ronald Reagan to attack Trump for his proposal to bar Muslims from entering the country, and highlighting his hotels' hiring of undocumented workers.
Republicans are divided on the efficacy of attacking Trump, with some in the party arguing in favor of letting the mogul's candidacy fade out on its own, with others advocating that as he isn't showing signs of a fade after months as the frontrunner, he has to be confronted head-on. There's some evidence that negative attacks on Trump aren't working to alienate voters from him.
"Conventional wisdom seems to be attacks on Trump are not working, but this web video along with our TV ad next week will be the first sustained effort across multiple mediums targeting Trump, so it's a bit premature to say it doesn't work since no one has done it," David said.