‘F--- Trump’: Democrat Juliana Stratton of Illinois under fire over ‘vulgar’ campaign ad for primaries

Juliana Stratton launched a blunt anti-Donald Trump Senate ad featuring a vulgar slogan, drawing backlash online as her primary bid heats up.

Updated on: Feb 20, 2026, 06:53:14 IST

By Shamik Banerjee

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Democrat Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, is making a bid for the Senate from the state and is facing a tough challenge in the Democratic Party primaries. Amid that, Stratton has launched a scathing attack on Trump in a campaign advert.

A Juliana Stratton supporter holding a 'F*** Trump' poster (R) and Juliana Stratton (L). (Juliana Stratton on Instagram and Libs of Chicago on X)

"F*** Trump, vote Juliana," the campaign tagline reads. In the video, various residents of Chicago's southside could be seen repeating the slogan before Juliana Stratton comes on and says, "They said it, not me..." The video attracted a lot of flak on social media for allegedly being vulgar.

Here's the video:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Juliana Stratton (@julianaforillinois)

Stratton is up against incumbent House Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a two-time House Representative, as well as House Rep. Robin Kelly, for the Democratic Party candidature for the Senate primary election to be held on March 17.

With early voting for the Democratic primary underway in Illinois, NBC News reports that Stratton and Kelly are both behind Krishnamoorthi, and the attorney is expected to sweep the election, per early trends.

Notably, NBC News said that some Democratic strategists are pushing for candidates to curse Trump in their campaign, a strategy they believe will strike a chord with voters. Stratton's latest video is believed to a part of it.

Campaign Advert Sparks MAGA Backlash

The video sparked backlash from accounts on X linked to President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement. Many of the popular MAGA accounts hit back at the Democrat Senate hopeful over the video.

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Johnny MAGA, a popular MAGA Account wrote: "There’s no bottom for the Democrats. Gutter trash behavior."

“This is their idea of a good political ad,” joked Libs of TikTok, a popular far-right account on X.

RNC Hits Back At Stratton Over Advert

Delanie Bomar, the Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, hit back at Juliana Stratton over the campaign video cursing Trump. Bomar charged Stratton with ignoring crime in Chicago as the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.

“Juliana Stratton is a defund-the-police radical who would rather let criminals run rampant than make Chicago safer,” the statement read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

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