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 3 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

California Governor Vetoes Bill Requiring Speeding Alerts in New Cars

DON'T MISS

At Least 52 Dead and Millions Without Power After Helene’s Deadly March Across the Southeast

DON'T MISS

SpaceX Launches Rescue Mission for 2 NASA Astronauts Who Are Stuck in Space Until Next Year

DON'T MISS

Hezbollah Confirms Its Leader Hassan Nasrallah Was Killed in an Israeli Airstrike

DON'T MISS

The Best Way to Keep Congress From Getting Things Done

DON'T MISS

Eddie’s Journey: Senior Poodle Seeks a Loving Forever Home

DON'T MISS

No Drug Screen and Treatment – No Money. Should Valley’s Poorest Be Tested to Receive Public Aid?

DON'T MISS

‘Tap’ Into Craft Brews, Wine, and Entertainment Options at This NE Fresno Bar

DON'T MISS

Parking Wars, Fresno Edition. Heavyweights Head to Court.

DON'T MISS

ClovisFest Soars to New Heights with Hot Air Balloons and Cultural Delights

UP NEXT

SpaceX Launches Rescue Mission for 2 NASA Astronauts Who Are Stuck in Space Until Next Year

UP NEXT

Hezbollah Confirms Its Leader Hassan Nasrallah Was Killed in an Israeli Airstrike

UP NEXT

The Best Way to Keep Congress From Getting Things Done

UP NEXT

Eddie’s Journey: Senior Poodle Seeks a Loving Forever Home

UP NEXT

No Drug Screen and Treatment – No Money. Should Valley’s Poorest Be Tested to Receive Public Aid?

UP NEXT

‘Tap’ Into Craft Brews, Wine, and Entertainment Options at This NE Fresno Bar

UP NEXT

Parking Wars, Fresno Edition. Heavyweights Head to Court.

UP NEXT

ClovisFest Soars to New Heights with Hot Air Balloons and Cultural Delights

UP NEXT

Fresno County Traffic Bust Yields $1.6M in Cocaine From Canadian Suspect

UP NEXT

Stock Market Today: Dow Sets a Record as Wall Street Drifts to the Finish of Another Winning Week

Hezbollah Confirms Its Leader Hassan Nasrallah Was Killed in an Israeli Airstrike

3 hours ago

The Best Way to Keep Congress From Getting Things Done

8 hours ago

Eddie’s Journey: Senior Poodle Seeks a Loving Forever Home

8 hours ago

No Drug Screen and Treatment – No Money. Should Valley’s Poorest Be Tested to Receive Public Aid?

9 hours ago

‘Tap’ Into Craft Brews, Wine, and Entertainment Options at This NE Fresno Bar

23 hours ago

Parking Wars, Fresno Edition. Heavyweights Head to Court.

24 hours ago

ClovisFest Soars to New Heights with Hot Air Balloons and Cultural Delights

1 day ago

Fresno County Traffic Bust Yields $1.6M in Cocaine From Canadian Suspect

1 day ago

Stock Market Today: Dow Sets a Record as Wall Street Drifts to the Finish of Another Winning Week

1 day ago

Big Picture Is Finalist in National Education Prize, Winning $500K

1 day ago

California Governor Vetoes Bill Requiring Speeding Alerts in New Cars

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Saturday that would have required new cars to beep at drivers if they exceed the speed limit. C...

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

California Governor Vetoes Bill Requiring Speeding Alerts in New Cars

2 hours ago

At Least 52 Dead and Millions Without Power After Helene’s Deadly March Across the Southeast

2 hours ago

SpaceX Launches Rescue Mission for 2 NASA Astronauts Who Are Stuck in Space Until Next Year

3 hours ago

Hezbollah Confirms Its Leader Hassan Nasrallah Was Killed in an Israeli Airstrike

8 hours ago

The Best Way to Keep Congress From Getting Things Done

8 hours ago

Eddie’s Journey: Senior Poodle Seeks a Loving Forever Home

9 hours ago

No Drug Screen and Treatment – No Money. Should Valley’s Poorest Be Tested to Receive Public Aid?

23 hours ago

‘Tap’ Into Craft Brews, Wine, and Entertainment Options at This NE Fresno Bar

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend