The Lincoln Project's "digital footprint has flatlined" after Trump and scandals

The Lincoln Project, founded by a coterie of anti-Trump Republicans, enjoyed huge popularity in the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election. It made a name for itself with short Trump-trolling videos that quickly went viral. Liberal donors opened their wallets and money gushed in. But then two things happened: Trump lost and people found out the Lincoln Project's founders were, by and large, a bunch of corrupt rightwing creeps and sex predators. The result: "social media collapse," according to The Washington Free Beacon. "The Lincoln Project's mentions have plummeted since Trump left office in January. Mentions fell 55 percent from January to February, and an additional 25 percent in March. In April, the group's mentions fell 14 percent from March totals.

From The Washington Free Beacon:

With Trump gone, the organization has been more consumed with allegations of grifting tens of millions of dollars from liberal donors and covering up an alleged pedophile than with defeating Trumpism.

The group is attempting to regroup, bringing on Fred Wellman as executive director despite his six figures of debt. The Washington Free Beacon reported that Lincoln Project cofounder Rick Wilson paid off his own mortgage 16 years ahead of schedule amid bombshell reports that the organization knew about allegations of John Weaver's inappropriate relationships with children as young as 14 years old.

The fall of the Lincoln Project is a great example of what happens when rightwingers try to make a name for themselves in the culture war by pretending to be against the things Donald Trump stands for.