Less than a week after becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris is enjoying a surge in attention and “earned” media in the presidential race while facing a wave of attack ads from the Republican Party.
The Associated Press reports that former President Trump and his allies are outspending Harris’ campaign on TV and radio ads 25 to 1. Republicans have spent more than $68 million since Monday compared with $2.6 million for Democrats, according to media tracking firm AdImpact. Topics include the ongoing border crisis, inflation and the track record of Harris’ campaign, which critics have described as far-left.
Meanwhile, Harris has been thrust into the media spotlight after President Biden announced on Sunday that he would not run for reelection and would endorse her as his successor. The Trump campaign is calling this a “Harris honeymoon” and predicting a rise in the former California senator’s popularity.
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But the Harris campaign isn’t worried about attacks from Republicans.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at West Allis Central High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2024. Harris has received President Biden’s endorsement, making her first campaign appearance as the party’s presidential candidate. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) (Jim Vondruska/Correspondent)
“We’re working to get the ads out as quickly as possible (it’s only three days old) while she gains the media advantage,” a campaign official said. He told Politico.
“I think it’s a waste of money to advertise when you have the best and most lucrative media in this election cycle,” Clinton campaign veteran Nick Merrill told the outlet.
The outlet reported that filmmakers traveled to Harris’ rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday to shoot footage for a digital-only ad.
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Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that Harris’ campaign had raised a massive $100 million between Sunday and Monday afternoon, meaning she could launch a robust advertising campaign at any time.
Harris spokesman Kevin Munoz told The Associated Press that the vice president “will aggressively pursue advocacy in tandem with her campaign platform designed to win a close election.”
Biden said “the choice is up to the American people” and made it clear he would not seek reelection.
“In just 24 hours, Kamala Harris has made abortion rights a top issue in the eyes of voters, broken fundraising records and driven Donald Trump publicly manic because he knows that Harris is the person best qualified to prosecute a convicted felon like himself,” he said.
Democratic-backed ads are also set to begin soon: Future Forward, a pro-Biden super PAC, plans to run a $129 million ad campaign in September, while its ad budget through the end of August is about $2.6 million, according to AdImpact.
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But the Trump campaign still has more money planned: The pro-Trump super PAC Preserve America had spent $45 million on ads through the end of August, and MAGA Inc. had committed another $23 million.
Meanwhile, a new national poll conducted after Biden announced he was suspending his campaign and endorsing his vice presidential hopes shows Harris and Trump in a very close race.
According to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, 46% of registered voters support Trump, while 45% support Harris. Trump’s 1-point lead is within the poll’s margin of sampling error. 9% of respondents were undecided.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
