NEW YORK — Just days into his new role as a Democratic Party representative likely presidential candidateKamala Harris is already facing a wave of Republican-backed attack ads that question her personality, her progressive record and what she knew about President Joe Biden’s decline.
But, at least for now, Democrats have yet to get involved in the summer’s advertising fight. And, in a sharp reversal seen for much of the year, Republicans are suddenly dominating the airways.
Overall, Trump and his allies are outspending Harris’ team by 25 to 1 on television and radio advertising — more than $68 million for Republicans, compared to just $2.6 million for the Democrats – in the period that began on Monday, a day later. Biden stepped asidethrough the end of August, according to an AP analysis of data compiled by media tracking firm AdImpact.
The striking disparity reflects actual spending for this week and reserves for the following weeks, which will almost certainly change in the coming days. But for now, the numbers highlight a dangerous imbalance for Democrats, just as millions of voters are reshaping their opinions about the vice president, who has spent much of the last four years in Biden’s shadow.
Some Harris allies are already sounding the alarm.
“Public opinion is like cement. It’s soft at first and then it hardens,” said Sarah Longwell, co-founder of the group Republican Voters Against Trump. “The next three weeks are final. It needs to define itself before Trump defines it.”
It’s true that Harris only got Biden’s support on Sunday. And since then, friends and enemies alike agree that she has benefited from a flood of so-called “deserved” news coverage, much of it positive. Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio described it as “the Harris honeymoon” in a memo released Tuesday that predicted a surge in polls for the Democratic vice president.
Asked about the advertising disparity, Harris spokesman Kevin Munoz said the vice president “will present her case aggressively alongside a campaign infrastructure designed to win close elections.”
“In just 24 hours, Kamala Harris has put abortion rights front and center for voters, broken fundraising records, and sent Donald Trump into a manic, public meltdown – because he knows she is better equipped to prosecute the case against a convicted criminal like himself,” he said.
Harris’ team has the money to launch a robust advertising campaign whenever they want.
His campaign raised an impressive $100 million between Sunday afternoon and Monday night alone. And allies, led by super PAC Future Forward, received $150 million in donor pledges in the first 24 hours after Biden dropped out of the race.
“Obviously, advertising is important and will increase, but it’s not the only factor,” said Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin. “With Harris taking over as the presumptive nominee, she is receiving largely positive coverage. … You always need to consider the context of the entire media ecosystem.”
Still, some of Harris’ attack ads may be starting to shape the narrative.
Biden allies have privately raised concerns about a new ad from Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick that describes Harris as “the most liberal candidate ever.” The ad highlights his progressive stances on immigration, policing, energy and healthcare. It ends with audio of Harris laughing loudly, which has been a frequent focus for Republicans.
Trump’s campaign has been largely silent on the airwaves since he emerged as his party’s presumptive presidential nominee this spring. The delay in advertising spending reflected, in part, the former president’s financial challenges after a costly primary and crushing legal bills. Backed by allied super PACs that are running tens of millions in ads this summer, however, the Trump campaign can also afford to wait until more voters pay attention this fall to invest money in advertising.
Pro-Trump super PAC Preserve America, backed by casino magnate Miriam Adelson, has booked $45 million in advertising through the end of August. MAGA Inc. has set aside another $23 million.
Democrats, meanwhile, suspended their advertising spending after devoting huge sums to boosting Biden in the weeks and months before he dropped out.
Overall, Biden’s campaign spent more than $138 million on advertising between Jan. 1 of this year and Sunday, when he announced his decision to step aside. While much of the advertising went after Trump, the ads also featured Biden, who is no longer a candidate and is widely seen as a political liability to Harris.
It’s only a matter of time, perhaps days, before Harris and her allies step up their publicity plans.
While AdImpact only found about $2.6 million in Democrat-backed ad bookings through the end of August, pro-Biden super PAC Future Forward is expected to begin rolling out a $129 million ad campaign in September.
But for now, voters are only seeing presidential ads that criticize Harris.
One, from MAGA Inc., blames the vice president for “a border invasion, runaway inflation” and the death of the American dream.
“Kamala knew Joe couldn’t do the job, so she did it,” says the narrator of the commercial that began airing on Sunday in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona. “They created this mess. They – no, Kamala – own this failed record.”
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
