President Biden’s campaign will launch a $50 million statewide ad campaign, it announced Friday, a move that comes as he seeks to assure voters he is ready for office following last week’s dismal debate performance .
The campaign also said it would invest $17 million to increase voter outreach over the next two months and that the president, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden and First Gentleman Doug Emhoff will travel to all of the swing states in July.
The TV, radio and digital ad campaign targets voters in swing states on key issues including abortion, economic issues and portraying Trump as a threat to American democracy and the rule of law, according to the campaign.
The ads will also capitalize on shows with large, politically diverse audiences, including the 2024 Olympics, the season premiere of The Bachelorette and the Republican National Convention.
“This will be a close race, decided by battleground voters who require consistent time, reach and attention,” the campaign wrote in a statement detailing the effort.
“While Donald Trump is on the golf course, we are striving to reach critical voters and frame this election as a choice between Joe Biden – a fighter for American families – and Donald Trump – a convicted felon who is running a campaign of revenge and retribution focused only on oneself.”
Biden’s re-election operation had its best fundraising month yet in June, raising $127 million between the campaign, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and joint fundraising committees.
The campaign said $38 million of that total came in the days following the first presidential debate last Thursday, sparking a wave of calls for Biden to drop out of the race.
Biden is set to give an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday that is widely seen as one of the most important interviews of his presidency as he seeks to convince voters, donors and political allies that he is the right man for the job .
But before speaking with Stephanopoulos, Biden is expected to deliver remarks at a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin.
Although three House Democrats have publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race and others have expressed concerns privately, the party establishment has largely united behind the candidate. Several politicians are expected to attend the campaign event, including Gov. Tony Evers (D) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.).
Wisconsin is one of six states considered confusing by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ, along with Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Biden took all six in 2020 to defeat Trump and intends to do so again. But he’ll have to fight for them, and Trump currently has a nearly 14-point lead over Biden nationally, according to election forecasting from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
