Lincoln Project ad shows Trump border wall built from coffins of Covid victims

Trump’s border wall was ‘paid for with 330,901 American lives’, says the ad

Republican anti-Trump group, the Lincoln Project, has released a new ad attacking the president's handling of Covid-19, claiming his Mexico border wall is made from the tombstones of the more than 330,000 Americans who have died.

The silent clip, shared on Twitter earlier this week, displays the figure 330,901 - referring to the number of Covid deaths in the US.

"More than 330,901 Americans are dead," states the video. It then shows a mocked-up version of the president's US-Mexico border wall, with a row of tombstones stacked on top of the concrete structure, which is lined with flowers and a US flag.

"This is Trump's wall," another message reads. "Paid for with 330,901 American lives", it adds. 

"330k+ dead and counting. Because of the #TrumpVirus," says a Twitter post accompanying the video.

The president has been repeatedly criticised for his approach to the pandemic. During the election campaign, he crisscrossed the country for public rallies, disregarding public health advice and refusing to wear a face mask.

Covid-19 deaths and cases have continued to rise since the video was released. 

There were 230,982 infections reported on 31 December - up slightly from the 229,349 logged on 30 December. In total, the US has now recorded 20 million cases and some 346,000 Covid-related deaths, official figures show.

The Lincoln Project is a political action committee formed in late 2019 by several current and former Republicans. 

The goal of the committee “is to prevent the reelection of Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and defeat his supporters in the United States Senate,"  according to the group’s website.

Update 07.01.21: A previous version of this article reported that a video produced by the Lincoln Project suggesting President Donald Trump's 'border wall' is made from the tombstones of those who have died of Covid-19. The computer-generated image in the clip appears to resemble coffins rather than tombstones. The article has been amended to reflect this.