Trump Responds To Billionaire's Ad Calling For Impeachment
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- A Bay Area billionaire who has been buying ad time to call for President Trump's impeachment on Friday succeeded in drawing fire from the President himself.
It's safe to assume that is exactly what Tom Steyer wanted.
The advertisement, part of a $10 million campaign financed by the billionaire, aired twice during the Fox News program "Fox and Friends" Friday morning.
"He's mentally unstable and armed with nuclear weapons," Steyer says during the ad calling for the president's impeachment. "Tell your member of congress they have a moral responsibility to stop doing what's political and start doing what's right."
In a tweet, President Trump called Steyer "wacky & totally unhinged."
The public insult that the ad triggered from President Trump may be more valuable to the billionaire than money.
Steyer responded to Trumps insult, tweeting himself, "You're right about one thing, Mr. Trump. I have been fighting your racism and corporate groveling from the beginning-and always will."
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said the president's attention is great news for Steyer. He wants to be known as the enemy of the president.
"Believe me, Tom Steyer is looking to be identified by everybody and everybody's opening line on television, radio and private conversations, 'I am the leading anti-Trump guy in this country,'" said Brown.
In fact, some people responded to the president's tweet by backing Steyer.
"Never heard of him till now, thanks for the heads up so I can support Steyer's message," Twitter user @akabyam posted.
Brown says Steyer is probably so happy with the attention he's getting with his first ad, he could raise the stakes.
"I think Tom is now going do the second ad," said Brown. "The second ad will hopefully generate three or four more activities by the president."
In his tweet, President Trump accused Steyer of never winning elections, but that is not true. While Steyer did back Hillary Clinton for president against Trump, and John Kerry in 2004, he has backed dozens of other candidates at all levels of government and only three of them have lost their elections.
