Rick Wilson didn’t just wake up one day and decide to burn down the GOP establishment. He was the establishment. For decades, the guy was a high-level Republican strategist, a Florida-based operative who knew exactly how to twist the knife in a political ad. He understood the "dark arts" of campaigning better than almost anyone else in the business. But when Donald Trump descended that golden escalator in 2015, something snapped for Wilson. That break eventually led to the creation of The Lincoln Project, a group that redefined how political warfare is waged in the digital age.
Most people think political ads are supposed to be boring. They expect 30-second spots about tax policy or healthcare reform. Wilson and his crew realized that in a world of viral social media clips, you have to aim for the throat. They didn't go after policy. They went after the ego.
The Birth of The Lincoln Project and the Rick Wilson Style
The Lincoln Project wasn't some organic grassroots movement that started in a coffee shop. It was a calculated strike by a group of "Never Trump" Republicans, including Wilson, Steve Schmidt, Reed Galen, and George Conway. They launched it in late 2019 with a New York Times op-ed that basically served as a declaration of war against their own party.
Wilson’s fingerprints were everywhere.
His style is chaotic, abrasive, and deeply effective. If you’ve ever watched a Lincoln Project ad and felt a weird mix of discomfort and "holy crap, did they really just say that?"—that’s Rick. He’s always been about the "psychological operations" side of politics. He knows that the most powerful weapon in an election isn't a white paper on trade deficits; it's a well-placed insult that makes the opponent lose their cool.
Why the Ads Worked So Well
A lot of political analysts at the time were confused. They asked, "Why are these guys spending money on ads in D.C. where everyone already hates Trump?"
The answer was simple: They were playing an audience of one.
Wilson and the team knew that Trump watched cable news religiously. By buying ad time on Fox News in the D.C. and Bedminster markets, they could put their messaging directly in front of the President. They wanted to get under his skin. They wanted to force him to tweet about them. And it worked. Every time the President lashed out at "The Losers Project," as he called them, he gave them millions of dollars in free earned media.
It was a feedback loop of pure salt.
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The Controversy and the Lincoln Project’s Survival
It hasn't been all wins and viral videos, though. Honestly, the organization has been through the wringer. You can't talk about Rick Wilson and this group without mentioning the massive scandals that nearly tanked the whole operation in early 2021.
The John Weaver allegations were a gut-punch. Weaver, one of the co-founders, was accused of sending inappropriate messages to young men. The fallout was immediate. Critics from both the left and the right pounced. The left never really trusted a bunch of former GOP operatives anyway, and the right was happy to see their most effective tormentors in trouble.
Then came the questions about the money.
Where did the $87 million go? ProPublica and other outlets started digging into the finances, pointing out that a huge chunk of the donations flowed into firms owned by the founders. Wilson has always pushed back on this, arguing that running a massive media operation requires professional fees and that their impact justified the cost. Whether you buy that or not usually depends on which side of the aisle you’re sitting on.
The Strategy Shift Post-2020
A lot of people expected the group to fold after the 2020 election. Biden won. Mission accomplished, right?
Nope.
Wilson realized that "Trumpism" wasn't going away just because the man left the White House. The Lincoln Project pivoted toward what they call "the fight for democracy." They started targeting "Enablers"—GOP senators and representatives who backed the efforts to overturn the election. They stayed in the fight, proving that they weren't just a one-hit-wonder campaign committee.
What Rick Wilson Gets About Modern Media
Wilson’s book, Everything Trump Touches Dies, wasn't just a catchy title; it was his thesis. He treats politics like a blood sport. He’s often criticized for being too mean or too cynical, but in his view, the other side stopped playing by the rules a long time ago.
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He’s a regular on the podcast circuit and a constant presence on X (formerly Twitter). He understands that in 2026, the news cycle doesn't last 24 hours—it lasts 24 minutes. If you aren't producing content that triggers an emotional response, you're invisible.
- Emotional triggers: Fear, anger, and ridicule are their primary tools.
- Speed: They can turn a news clip into a fully edited ad in under four hours.
- Targeting: They don't care about the general public as much as they care about the "Bannon line"—that small sliver of swing voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
The Lincoln Project's "Mourning in America" ad was a direct riff on Ronald Reagan's famous "Morning in America." It was dark. It was depressing. It showed a country in decline during the pandemic. It was the antithesis of traditional Republican optimism, and it signaled that the old GOP was officially dead.
Rick Wilson’s Background: Not Your Average Consultant
Before he was the face of the anti-Trump movement, Wilson was the guy the GOP called to do the dirty work. He worked on the Rudy Giuliani Senate campaign (the one he dropped out of). He worked with Dick Cheney. He was the mastermind behind the infamous "Max Cleland" ad in 2002, which linked the triple-amputee veteran to Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
That ad is still studied in political science classes as one of the most brutal—and effective—hits in history.
It’s ironic, really. The very tactics that Democrats used to hate Rick Wilson for are now the ones they celebrate when he uses them against the MAGA movement. It’s a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" situation. Wilson hasn't changed his tactics; he just changed his target.
The Complexity of the Never-Trump Movement
Being a Never-Trump Republican is a lonely place to be. You’re hated by the base of your old party, and you’re often viewed with suspicion by your new allies on the left. Wilson occupies this weird middle ground. He hasn't become a liberal. He still talks like a conservative strategist, but he’s basically an exile from the world he helped build.
He often talks about the "Vichy Republicans"—the ones who stayed in the party and did Trump's bidding. To Wilson, this isn't just about policy; it's about character. He views the current state of the GOP as a "personality cult" that has abandoned constitutional principles.
Understanding the Lincoln Project’s Impact on 2026 and Beyond
As we look at the political landscape today, the influence of the Wilson-style "attrition warfare" is everywhere. Every political PAC is trying to replicate that viral energy. But most fail because they’re too "consultant-y." They use focus groups. They worry about offending people.
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Wilson doesn't care about offending people.
That’s his secret sauce. He knows that if you aren't making someone angry, you aren't doing it right.
Actionable Insights for Following the Movement
If you’re trying to keep up with the shifting tides of American politics, you have to look past the cable news headlines. Here is how to actually track what’s happening with this faction:
1. Watch the Ad Buys, Not Just the Ads
Don't just watch a Lincoln Project video on YouTube and think that's the whole story. Use tools like the Ad Observatory or the FEC's database to see where they are actually spending money. If they are buying airtime in a random district in Ohio, there’s a strategic reason for it. They are trying to "poke the bear" or suppress a specific demographic.
2. Follow the "Lincoln Radio" Network
Wilson and Galen have built a massive podcast and streaming infrastructure. This is where they test their messaging. If you hear a specific talking point on The Rick Wilson Podcast or The Breakdown, expect to see it in a 30-second TV spot two weeks later. It’s their laboratory.
3. Distinguish Between Policy and Tactics
Understand that The Lincoln Project is a tactical organization, not a policy shop. If you’re looking for detailed plans on tax reform, you’re in the wrong place. They are about winning elections and defeating specific candidates. Keep that distinction in mind so you don't get frustrated when they don't offer a "platform."
4. Monitor the "Primary" Influence
One of Wilson’s biggest goals is to influence Republican primaries. By backing more moderate or "institutional" candidates, they try to prevent the most extreme MAGA candidates from reaching the general election. Watching which GOP primaries they choose to ignore vs. which ones they dump money into tells you a lot about their internal polling.
Rick Wilson and The Lincoln Project have essentially created a new category of political engagement. It’s part media company, part intelligence agency, and part psychological warfare unit. Whether you find them heroic or hypocritical, you can't deny that they changed the game. They proved that a small group of people with a deep understanding of their opponent's weaknesses can exert a massive amount of influence on the national stage.
Politics in the U.S. will likely never go back to the "polite" era of the 1990s. The genie is out of the bottle, and Rick Wilson is the one holding the remote.