The Biden-Harris campaign is working to pull television ads scheduled to air during the Copa America in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Trump, a campaign spokesman told The Hill on Sunday.
Since the ads are typically reserved for individual affiliates, it is unclear whether all of the ads will be removed before the tournament final airs at 8 p.m. EDT.
The Biden campaign has invested seven figures into advertising the convention, and Trump launched a new Spanish-language ad last Tuesday that will air in major markets on Univision during the semifinals and finals.
Trump’s ads have leaned heavily on the economy and blamed Biden for inflation, while ads for Biden, who was removed from the finals, feature economic messaging contrasting his record with that of Trump.
Argentina and Colombia will play in the final on Sunday night in Miami. Uruguay beat Canada in a penalty shootout on Saturday to finish third.
Following the Pan American soccer tournament, other campaigns across the political spectrum jumped on the Copa America bandwagon as a way to reach Hispanic voters.
The appeal of the tournament spread to lower-ranking constituencies and to advocacy groups who ran soccer-themed advertisements to align with their campaign aims.
“We decided specifically to launch these ads during the Copa America and add them to our existing campaign because we know the role soccer plays in the homes and families of our communities,” said Yadira Sanchez, executive director of Poder Latinx, an advocacy group that ran the Copa America ads to support its “Nos Ayuda a Vivir” campaign, which promotes clean energy plans.
Two states dominated the tournament: Florida, home of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi’s club Inter Miami CF, hosted a final featuring a new local hero, while Arizona saw Colombia open the knockout stage with a 5-0 win over Panama in the quarterfinals.
The first round match between Mexico and Ecuador was held on June 30 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona, and Mexico, the soccer team with the greatest popularity in the United States, was eliminated.
In Florida, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) has launched a six-figure TV and digital campaign for the convention, and his opponent, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel Powell (D-FL), has followed suit with her own funded campaign on streaming platforms.
Scott’s ad, “Gooool,” features the senator as a soccer star leading “Equipo Libertad” against Mucarcel Powell’s “Los Socialistas.”
Scott’s warnings against socialism reflect an argument that has been particularly successful in Florida.
“Senator Scott’s ads running during the Copa America tournament remind Floridians that one of his opponents voted over 90% for socialists in Congress, which is why she was rejected once and will be rejected again in November,” Team Rick Scott spokesman Jonathan Turcotte recently told The Hill in an email.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) ran his own campaign, including a community watch party for the quarterfinal game in Arizona, where Colombia beat Panama, 5-0.
Mexico also lost in Arizona, an expected but heartbreaking result that ended the tournament run for a team supported by an estimated 60 million U.S. Latinos.
Another potential attraction, the U.S. men’s national team, was eliminated in the first round.
“We continue to invest in the Copa America final because we know that the public will be watching the final. Of course, if it’s their team, they will be watching more intently. We know that, but we still know the crowd will be there,” Sanchez said.
The football-themed campaign messaging highlighted issues that supporters and candidates believed would resonate with voters.
Ads like Poder Latinx’s also aimed to educate Hispanic voters about benefits they may be eligible for but may not be aware of.
“Also, the majority of Latinos [Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)]”It’s a clean energy plan, so we’re using this opportunity to let the community know about all the resources that are still available to us that can help us fight the climate crisis first and also save money,” Sanchez said.
“We’re doing this intentionally because we know some of the IRA climate change measures are coming into effect. We want people to know the benefits and that this can save them money right now.”
