Welcome to the online version of From the Policy Deska nightly newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News politics team on the campaign, the White House and Capitol Hill.
In today’s edition, national political reporter Ben Kamisar analyzes the state of the presidential campaign advertising race. Additionally, the campaign incorporates reporting from Phoenix’s Alex Tabet about a rare Democratic candidate who is leaning into border security.
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After Democrats’ long-standing advantage, Team Trump begins closing battleground ad spending gap
By Ben Kamisar
If you live in a swing state and are tired of seeing presidential campaign ads, buckle up. We’re about to see a lot more, thanks in large part to a huge increase in spending on the Republican side.
With Democrats holding a huge lead on the airwaves for much of the year, Donald Trump’s campaign began investing big money in battleground advertising for the first time since he emerged as the presumptive nominee after relinquishing that responsibility. largely to allied outside groups.
From June 3 to July 28, the Joe Biden-turned-Kamala Harris campaign spent nearly $65 million on TV, radio and digital ads in six swing states, according to tracking firm AdImpact: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. (That total does not include spending by his joint fundraising committees.) During the same period, Trump’s campaign spent less than $230,000.
But in the past two weeks, a dramatic shift in Trump’s campaign has helped close the gap. It spent a total of $13 million in these key states, compared to $16.5 million for the Harris campaign.
The surge in both camps comes after Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic standard-bearer and the conclusion of the Republican National Convention. The Democratic decline in spending that precipitated it came as Biden’s campaign was thrown into turmoil after his poor debate performance.
A similar trend emerges when advertising spending from outside groups supporting campaigns is included, showing a large weekly Democratic advantage that has been virtually eliminated.
And there’s plenty more to come, with groups predicting another huge wave of advertising spending as both sides look define the new Democratic ticket. Furthermore, the Trump and Harris campaigns have proven that they are capable of raising money, which they will be able to distribute throughout the country in what is expected to be the most expensive presidential race ever.
Democrats argue that the advantage they have maintained for months should not be discarded. And although Harris now tops the list, much of the emphasis on the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments and criticism of Trump still holds.
But we’ve written before about how Republicans cut the Democrats’ fundraising advantage, and these ad spending numbers show the fruits of that effort.
Democrat Ruben Gallego bets on border security in the Senate race
By Alex Tabet
PHOENIX — TV ads showing candidates straddling the U.S.-Mexico border have become a staple of Republican campaigns across the country. But this summer, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego took action as his party tries to win voters’ trust in its Senate race in Arizona — and beyond.
“Ruben Gallego was by my side. The only member of Congress who regularly comes to my border,” said Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway. said in the ad. “He is fighting for solutions. Better technology. More manpower.”
It’s far from the only border security announcement on Arizona’s airwaves. Gallego’s competitor, Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, has been attacking him at the border, with an advertisement linking Gallego to the policies of Biden and Harris and featuring a 2017 clip of Gallego on the House floor referring to “Trump’s stupid, stupid border wall.”
The back-and-forth on this issue reflects the central role that the border is playing in many voters’ calculations, as well as Democrats’ perception that the public did not see their rhetoric or policies as up to the task of dealing with a growing number. of migrants in recent years.
Gallego’s early efforts to prove himself to voters on this issue are now reflected in other Democratic campaigns. One of the first TV Ads Harris was released after taking office as the party’s presidential candidate focusing on border security, although the issue did not appear in more than a year of Biden’s TV advertising, captured by tracking firm AdImpact.
The edition also illustrates Gallego’s idea efforts to redefine itself — and his opponent’s efforts to highlight his progressive past — as he tries to move from a deep-blue congressional district to statewide office in one of the country’s most closely divided battlegrounds.
That’s why Gallego took a different tone, though not an entirely different angle, when NBC News asked him if he still believed Trump’s border wall initiative was “stupid” and “dumb.”
“I think border walls are necessary in certain areas. Putting up border walls in areas that aren’t needed just costs more money and also costs labor,” Gallego said, arguing that a full southern border wall is a performative waste of taxpayer money.
Read more about Gallego’s border position →
Today’s top news
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If it’s Tuesday: It’s primary day in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut and Vermont. Tonight’s contests feature another member of the “squad” on defense and will set up matchups in a series of competitive races in November.
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Going back: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz defended his military record amid Republican attacks during first solo campaign event in Los Angeles "I am very proud of my service to this country"he said. he said.
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Focus: Trump’s allies are increasing pressure on the former president to abandon his race-based attacks on Harris and focus on the issues at the forefront of voters’ minds.
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From rally attendees to volunteers: Harris’ campaign has sought to turn the large crowds at her recent rallies into an army of volunteers.
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Range: The Harris campaign also hired Nasrina Bargzie, Harris’ former White House policy adviser, to lead the campaign’s outreach to Muslim and Arab voters.
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When voting: Constitutional amendments that would enshrine access to abortion were officially qualified for voting in
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Out of voting: a judge ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not qualify for the ballot in New York, following a lawsuit that questioned the candidate’s claim that he lived in the state.
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Striking comments: The United Auto Workers have filed federal labor charges against Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for publicly applauding the practice of firing employees who threaten to strike.
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Money Man: The Washington Post takes an in-depth look at oil tycoon Harold Hamm, writing that the billionaire “has emerged as a central figure in persuading the oil industry to fund Trump’s re-election bid.”
That’s all from the Department of Politics for now. If you have feedback – like or dislike – send us an email at newsletter@nbcuni.com
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