The Biden campaign has unveiled a new ad in battleground states that presents the upcoming election as a decision between a 'convicted criminal' and a president 'fighting for your family.' This ad marks the first time President Joe Biden's campaign has incorporated Donald Trump's legal issues into its television advertising efforts.
Titled 'Character Matters,' the 30-second spot highlights Trump's recent conviction in a criminal hush money trial and contrasts it with what the campaign asserts as Biden's accomplishments in office. The ad is part of a $50 million ad buy for June and will be broadcast on television, internet-connected TV in battleground states, and national cable.
The ad opens with black-and-white footage of Trump entering a Manhattan courthouse where he was found guilty of falsifying business records. The narrator then emphasizes Trump's legal troubles, including 34 felonies, sexual assault allegations, and financial fraud, juxtaposed with Biden's efforts to lower healthcare costs and hold big corporations accountable.
The campaign's decision to incorporate Trump's conviction into its messaging represents a shift in strategy, as Biden had previously refrained from directly referencing Trump's legal issues. However, following Trump's guilty verdict, the campaign has seized on the opportunity to portray the former president as unfit for office.
With the first debate between Biden and Trump scheduled for June 27, the ad push aims to set the stage for a showdown between the two candidates. Biden's campaign has emphasized the importance of character in leadership, contrasting Trump's legal troubles with Biden's focus on serving American families.
While it remains to be seen how Trump's conviction will impact the 2024 race, his campaign reported a surge in online donations following the guilty verdict. As the election season heats up, both candidates are gearing up for a high-stakes debate that will shape the narrative of the campaign moving forward.
With the election drawing closer, the Biden campaign's strategic use of Trump's legal woes underscores the contrast they seek to draw between the two candidates, framing the choice for voters as one between a 'convicted criminal' and a president 'fighting for your family.'
