Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Biden's Campaign Announces a $50 Million Advertising Blitz Highlighting Trump's Conviction
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 months ago on
June 17, 2024

"Character Matters" ad highlights Trump's felony convictions, setting tone for election debate. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trump’s felony conviction and signals that the Democratic incumbent is seeking to make his Republican opponent’s legal woes a bigger issue heading into November.

The advertising push comes with Election Day still months away. But Biden’s campaign says it wants to more clearly define the choice between the candidates ahead of the first debate between them in Atlanta on June 27.

The ad campaign includes more than $1 million geared toward media reaching Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters and a spot highlighting Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in a New York hush money case. It will air on general market television and connected TV on streaming devices and cellphones in battleground states as well as on national cable.

Character Matters: A Closer Look at Trump’s Legal Woes

Besides Trump’s criminal conviction, the ad, titled “Character Matters,” notes the former president also was found liable for sexual assault and financial fraud in separate proceedings. Trump also faces felony charges in three other criminal cases, none of which may go to trial before the November election.

“In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is,” intones the ad’s narrator. It adds over images of a Trump mug shot and Biden high-fiving supporters, “This election is between a convicted criminal who’s only out for himself and a president who’s fighting for your family.”

Biden also has frequently talked about Trump’s 34 felony convictions while decrying the former president for claiming that the case against him was politically motivated. Biden argues that “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”

Biden’s son Hunter last week was convicted in Delaware of three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018, when, prosecutors argued, he lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. The president has said he would accept the outcome of the case and “continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”

Trump’s Legal Problems: A Central Part of Biden’s Reelection Strategy

A central part of Biden’s reelection strategy is also highlighting Trump’s policy proposals for a second term and firing up disaffected Democrats and independent voters. Still, the campaign producing an ad that leans heavily into Trump’s conviction and including it in such a large advertising buy indicates a renewed effort to make Trump’s legal problems an election issue in ways Biden’s team previously resisted.

“It’s a stark contrast, and it’s one that matters deeply to the American people,” Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler said in a statement. “And it’s why we will make sure that every single day we are reminding voters about how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself.”

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has argued, without evidence, that Biden or Justice Department officials orchestrated the New York case against him for political reasons. He and his allies also have raised the prospect of prosecuting political opponents in revenge if he returns to the White House.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the Biden administration had “weaponized the justice system against President Trump” and that the contrast between her candidate and Biden “will be very clear on the debate stage.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

New Board Members Join Merced County’s Largest School District, Guiding It Into 2025

DON'T MISS

‘It’s Living Hell’: Nurses Say CA Addiction Recovery Program Ended Their Careers

DON'T MISS

Santa Who? Bizarre Christmas Traditions Stealing the Holiday Spotlight

DON'T MISS

New Decisions Boost California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, but Major Hurdles Remain

DON'T MISS

Only $20K More to Bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Fresno

DON'T MISS

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

DON'T MISS

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

DON'T MISS

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

DON'T MISS

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

UP NEXT

‘It’s Living Hell’: Nurses Say CA Addiction Recovery Program Ended Their Careers

UP NEXT

Santa Who? Bizarre Christmas Traditions Stealing the Holiday Spotlight

UP NEXT

New Decisions Boost California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, but Major Hurdles Remain

UP NEXT

Only $20K More to Bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Fresno

UP NEXT

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

UP NEXT

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

UP NEXT

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

UP NEXT

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

UP NEXT

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

UP NEXT

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

New Decisions Boost California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, but Major Hurdles Remain

1 day ago

Only $20K More to Bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Fresno

1 day ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

2 days ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

2 days ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

2 days ago

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

2 days ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

2 days ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

2 days ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

2 days ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

2 days ago

New Board Members Join Merced County’s Largest School District, Guiding It Into 2025

The Merced City School District is closing out 2024 with a new school board in place and looking forward to new beginnings in the New Year. ...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

New Board Members Join Merced County’s Largest School District, Guiding It Into 2025

1 day ago

‘It’s Living Hell’: Nurses Say CA Addiction Recovery Program Ended Their Careers

1 day ago

Santa Who? Bizarre Christmas Traditions Stealing the Holiday Spotlight

1 day ago

New Decisions Boost California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, but Major Hurdles Remain

1 day ago

Only $20K More to Bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Fresno

2 days ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

2 days ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

2 days ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend