Joni Ernst, Trailing In Polls, Targeted For Gifts Of Crickets — As Voters Say That’s What She’s Given, When Asked To Denounce Trump
When called on to denounce atrocities from the Trump Administration, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst has returned nothing but crickets, say the Lincoln Project and Iowa voters. Now they’re sending her live crickets through the mail to represent this.

According to Real Clear Politics, Senator Joni Ernst is behind her challenger, Theresa Greenfield by a few points. Now the Lincoln Project is targeting her Senate race, calling voters to notice her failings when it comes to calling out the worst in the Trump Administration.
When it comes to speaking up against Trump’s atrocities, all Iowans have heard from Joni Ernst is crickets.
Please don’t send any 🦗to @joniernst.
We did it before and we heard it made her very upset 🙁
So… it would be awful to do it again.
🦗🦗🦗
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 14, 2020
In fact, they’re asking voters to not send her crickets — and they’re hinting hard. Rick Wilson, in fact, went further, repeating that voters should only send Ernst tweets of crickets — definitely not actual crickets. To drive home the point, he included a link to purchase live crickets on Amazon.
No, we meant TWEET crickets AT @joniernst, not to order live crickets to send to her offices.
Seriously. That would be so wrong.https://t.co/u40XVKhAVD pic.twitter.com/IMLJNcOLDl
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 14, 2020
Voters are definitely getting the idea.
The smaller ones might be harder to catch.
— John' Barron de Dennison (@grumbletoniantx) October 14, 2020
Also donated to her opponent Teresa Greenfield. pic.twitter.com/CtrFyCcOb3
— Carman Broderick (@CarmanBroderick) October 14, 2020
The Lincoln Project previously called out Senator Ernst for her failure to speak up for her constituents, releasing a short video ad, also titled “Crickets” — referring, again to the notion that when nobody is speaking up, all that can be heard is the sound of crickets.
Sending elected officials unwanted ‘gifts’ in protest is nothing new, although live animals might cross a line. In 2017, to name another example, women who were upset at Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s order to require burials for aborted fetal remains, carried out a “Bury This!” campaign, mailing him used tampons. Though hundreds of women discussed joining the protest, Dallas News reported that 17 actually mailed the governor soiled menstrual products.