New $50 million Biden ad campaign targets Trump felony convictions
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[June 17, 2024]
By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's campaign will target
Republican challenger Donald Trump's felony convictions as part of a $50
million ad campaign ahead of the first presidential debate between both
candidates on June 27.
The move marks a notable shift in Biden's approach to Trump's conviction
after the president's initial reluctance to weigh in on the issue, to
avoid engaging with Trump's legal woes.
"Character Matters," a 30-second ad that says "this election is between
a convicted criminal who's only out for himself, and a president who's
fighting for your family," drawing a contrast between the two
candidates, will run in all battleground states that have switched
between Republicans and Democrats in recent elections, starting Monday.
Trump was convicted by a New York jury on May 30 of 34 felony counts for
falsifying business records. The Trump campaign did not respond to a
request seeking comment.
Biden and Trump remain tied in national polls with less than five months
to go before the election, while Trump has the edge in the battleground
states that will decide the election, polls conducted before the
conviction show. On economic issues like inflation, Trump scores higher
with voters overall than Biden.
Biden's campaign and several Democrats were initially reluctant to
emphasize Trump's conviction, taking a wait-and-see approach to
advertising and new strategies. They wanted to see polls and voter
feedback before reacting strongly.
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Earlier this month, at a fundraiser with a small group of donors in
Greenwich, Connecticut, Biden for the first time called Trump a
"convicted felon" and said his predecessor poses a higher threat to the
United States if he wins another term.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted just after Trump's conviction found 10%
of Republican voters said they are less likely to vote for Trump in
November after his conviction, a significant number, given the narrow
margins that decide U.S. presidential elections.
Trump also faces criminal charges in three other cases: a Georgia
election interference case, a Florida documents case and a federal
election interference case. He is also appealing the results of his
civil trials.
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![](../images/061724PIX/news_f10.jpg)
Combination picture showing former U.S. President Donald Trump
attending the Trump Organization civil fraud trial, in New York
State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S.,
November 6, 2023 and U.S. President Joe Biden participating in a
meeting with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval
Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 1, 2024.
REUTERS/Brendan McDermid and Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
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Biden's son Hunter was this month convicted by a jury for lying
about his illegal drug use to buy a gun, making him the first child
of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. Polls
including one from Reuters/Ipsos shows a vast majority of voters say
Hunter's conviction won't affect their vote in the Nov. 5 election.
The June 27 debate between Biden and Trump, billed as one of the
most significant moments of this year's campaign calendar, is less
than two weeks away, and both campaigns are racing to prepare for
the first showdown.
The debate will include two commercial breaks, no props and muted
microphones except when recognized to speak, CNN, which will host
the debate in Atlanta, Georgia, said on Saturday.
The Biden campaign's fundraising in April lagged Trump's for the
first time, after the former president ramped up his joint operation
with the Republican National Committee and headlined high-dollar
fundraisers.
Democrats still maintained an overall cash advantage over Trump and
the Biden campaign continues to have a considerably larger war
chest. On Saturday, Biden raised $30 million at a star-studded
fundraiser in Los Angeles, California.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather
Timmmons and Lincoln Feast.)
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