The House GOP’s campaign arm in recent weeks has successfully pressed three advertising companies to pull down Democratic billboard displays bashing vulnerable Republicans over Medicaid — a setback to Democratic campaigners hoping to make health care a liability for battleground Republicans around the country.

In a series of cease-and-desist letters, the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) said the imposing roadside ads — sponsored by a splinter group of the top Democratic super PAC in six battleground districts — promoted “patently false” claims against the targeted GOP incumbents, warning the companies that they would be complicit in defaming those lawmakers if the billboards were left up for public consumption.

The threat proved successful — the billboards in all six districts were taken down almost immediately.

The development, parts of which were first reported by The Washington Examiner, has buoyed Republican campaign operatives, who say it gives them a playbook for defusing Democratic messaging — which has leaned heavily on warnings that Republicans intend to gut Medicaid — heading into next year’s midterms.

"This proves our argument that Democrats are lying in their Medicaid messaging, and will make it much more challenging for them to make those arguments going forward," said Mike Marinella, national spokesman for the NRCC.

Democrats think otherwise. They’re defending the veracity of their Medicaid campaign, saying the ad companies didn’t pull the billboards based on the accuracy of the NRCC complaint, but because they’re terrified of the current political moment, when President Trump is attacking political opponents in the public and private sectors alike.

“These were unfortunately decisions not based in fact, but made due to coercion and threats from anti-free speech Republicans,” said CJ Warnke, spokesman for House Majority Forward, a liberal advocacy group closely affiliated with the House Democrats’ leading super PAC.

“House Republicans and the [Congressional Budget Office] have publicly confirmed that they are cutting Medicaid, and they will stop at nothing to silence the truth.”

The billboard fight is just one battle line in the broader partisan clash over the Republicans’ plans for enacting Trump’s........

© The Hill