Democrat presidential candidate and current US President Joe Biden is starting a new multi-million dollar ad campaign focused on attacking his opponent Donald Trump over his recent felony convictions.
This campaign comes as Biden dives in with both feet after initial reluctance to press Trump on this conviction over fears of it would energize his base even more.
Trump’s Convictions
Donald Trump recently made US history as the first former president convicted of a felony. Right before the start of this month, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records over hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election.
For his part, Trump has maintained his innocence through the trial and is seeking an appeal, accusing the prosecution of a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
Difficulty Weighing In
While Democrats and Trump’s critics celebrated his conviction in a New York Court, some were wary of gloating too hard lest it galvanize and empower Trump’s supporters.
“I think the prevailing view is it is an extremely close election and the conviction, while not a game changer, helps on the margins with a small group of voters,” said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist and donor. “It may temporarily juice enthusiasm on Trump side but doesn’t gain any new voters for him.”
Biden’s Previous Stance
In the wake of the conviction, Biden was much more tepid in his approach to framing its importance, saying “That’s for the public to decide” regarding how important the conviction was for the election.
Biden was likely worried about “taking credit” for the conviction in the eyes of voters and playing into Trump’s line of defense accusing the trial of being a political witchhunt directed by him.
Trump’s Boon
The critics of the former president were looking on with caution as the Trump campaign announced blockbuster donations in the first 24 hours of the trial verdict being read.
According to the Trump campaign, the former president raised $141 million in the month of May for his campaign. An astounding $54 million of that haul was reportedly raised in the first 24 hours of his felony conviction.
Polls on Republicans
A series of polls were done on voters following the conviction of Trump to gauge just how much influence it might have.
Some polls found a small drop in support for Trump while an Emerson College survey found that over a quarter of voters were actually more likely to vote for Trump because of his felony conviction.
Fight on the Margins
A Reuters poll conducted in the wake of the verdict found that 10% of Republicans are now less likely to vote for Trump after the felony conviction.
While this number is not that large, the fact that the election continues to be close means that any movement on the margins could potentially decide the election.
Biden’s Shift
Now that enough time has passed from Trump’s May 30 conviction, the “wait and see” strategy from Biden and Democrats seems to be ending.
“This election is between a convicted criminal who’s only out for himself, and a president who’s fighting for your family,” said a new 30-second Biden ad titled “Character Matters.”
Wishing Happy Birthday
Biden’s social media account on X wished Trump a Happy Birthday over the weekend with a video showing the contrast between the two candidates.
In this 30-second video, Trump is contrasted with Biden by his felony convictions. “[Trump] convicted of 34 felonies,” the ad reads while showing Biden writing at a desk with the text “[Biden] appointed 100 black women to federal judgeships.”
Convicted Felon
Biden’s current campaign strategy is leaning toward calling Trump a “convicted criminal” seemingly waving away concerns that attacking Trump in this way will validate Trump’s rhetoric around political persecution.
“In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is,” the “Character Matters” ad on YouTube says.
Reaction To The Ad
YouTube comments for Biden’s new ad seem supportive of the effort to hold Trump accountable for his felony convictions. “Hurrah Pres. Biden, enough going easy on Trump,” said one commenter.
“Thank you President Biden for telling it like it is,” said commenter Jim Charne. “Keep running this ad until November 5th,” said commenter David Blantz. “The gloves are off,” said another commenter.
Looking Ahead
This move to unleash an intense attack campaign against Trump comes as the two are set to square off in a debate at the end of the month on June 27.
While Biden is spending a lot and Trump is gaining more donations, Democrats are still maintaining an overall finance lead. Recently, Biden was able to generate $30 million for his campaign at a Los Angeles fundraiser filled with celebrities.
