Former President Donald J. Trump has launched a new attack ad targeting Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration. The ad, which is running on television in six battleground states, accuses Harris of being a failed “border czar” and holds her responsible for millions of border crossings and deaths from fentanyl.
The 30-second ad splices together footage of Harris dancing at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with images of migrants crossing the border. It closes with a new tagline for Harris: “Failed. Weak. Dangerously Liberal.” This ad marks Trump’s first major television ad purchase since Harris became the de facto Democratic nominee.
The Trump campaign has made a two-week ad reservation, spending $2.7 million in Pennsylvania, $2.3 million in Georgia, $2.3 million in Michigan, $1.9 million in Arizona, $1.8 million in Nevada, and $1.3 million in Wisconsin. The ad also references an interview Harris did with NBC’s Lester Holt in 2021, where she expressed confusion about the importance of visiting the border, saying, “I haven’t been to Europe. I mean, I don’t understand the point you’re making.”
This ad reflects Trump’s efforts to center immigration as a key issue in the upcoming election and to target Harris specifically on this issue. It is clear that immigration will be a major point of contention between the two campaigns as they head into the election season.