President Trump’s designated super PAC is planning a $23 million summer advertising buy in key 2020 battlegrounds to put a dent in the rising voter support for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Biden leads Trump by 9 percentage points nationally in the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, and he has built leads in the approximately dozen states that will determine the outcome in November. To help the president reverse that trend, America First Action has purchased television time in four states — Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — with plans to run spots focused on the former vice president’s shortcomings. The super PAC also plans to invest some of the $23 million in digital and direct mail.
The advertising is set to begin July 24 and run through Labor Day. The states chosen for America First Action’s summer buy are a good indicator of where pro-Trump forces believe the president needs the most help as the election draws near.
“The Trump campaign has done a terrific job of laying down their advertising strategy for the fall, so we are stepping up to help fill the gap in the summer,” America First Action President Brian O. Walsh said in a statement. “Hopefully, this provides some clarity on our next steps, gives the campaign the flexibility to deploy their extensive financial resources as they see fit, and helps define the choice in this election by keeping the focus on Joe Biden.”
The president’s super PAC plans to spend $7.5 million of the $23 million buy in Pennsylvania, with $5.6 million going to Wisconsin, $5.6 million deployed to Arizona, and $4.5 million being invested in North Carolina. Fifty-two percent of the funds are going to broadcast television, 18% to cable television, 14% to digital, and 14% to direct mail and other advertising.
Direct mail has had an increased response rate during the coronavirus pandemic, GOP insiders say.
