“Fearless” Kamala Harris launching $50 million ad blitz

Starting with an ad titled “Fearless,” Indian American presidential candidate Kamla Harris’ campaign is launching a $50 million advertising blitz in the weeks ahead of the Democratic National Convention which begins Aug 19 in Chicago.

It Tuesday unveiled its first ad since the vice president became the party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the White House race following his disastrous debate performance against former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The 60-second first ad titled “Fearless” touts Harris’ record as a prosecutor and California attorney general, as well as her work as vice president in the Biden administration.

READ: Kamala Harris can prevent Trump from dragging US towards authoritarianism: Salman Rushdie (July 29, 2024)

“This campaign is about who we fight for,” Harris says in the ad. “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead. Where every senior can retire with dignity.

“But Donald Trump wants to take our country backward. To give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and end the Affordable Care Act,” she says. “But we are not going back.”

The ad will air on local and national television stations across battleground states, the campaign said. It will air during Olympics coverage, and during shows like Big Brother, The Daily Show, The Simpsons and The Bachelorette.

“Throughout her career as a courtroom prosecutor, Attorney General, United States Senator, and now as Vice President, Kamala Harris has always stood up to bullies, criminals and special interests on behalf of the American people – and she’s beaten them,” Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon stated. “She’s uniquely suited to take on Donald Trump, a convicted felon who has spent his entire life ripping off working people, tearing away our rights, and fighting for himself.”

READ: Kamala Harris slightly shrinks Trump’s leads in battleground states (July 25, 2024)

The ad marks the Harris campaign’s first foray into advertising since she became the likely Democratic nominee last week. Since then, the Harris campaign has raised more than $200 million and seen an outpouring of grassroots support among Democrats rejuvenated by her candidacy.

Polls still show Trump narrowly leading nationally and in several battleground states, however, and Harris acknowledged over the weekend she remains an underdog in the race.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic move to counter the surging momentum of Harris, Trump is unleashing a $10 million advertising campaign across six battleground states.

After months of questioning Biden’s fitness for office, the Trump campaign is grappling with crafting an effective message against the younger, more energetic 59-year-old Harris.

With the Nov 5 election looming, Trump, 78, launched his first salvo on Monday, releasing an ad on Truth Social that uses Harris’s own words to portray her as an out-of-touch liberal.

In response, Harris’s camp swiftly accused Trump of misrepresenting her record, emphasizing her role in the Biden administration’s bipartisan achievements.

Meanwhile, Harris has focused her campaign on Trump’s legal troubles and his influence on restrictive abortion laws in Republican-led states.

As the race heats up, both camps are pulling out all stops to win over voters in key battleground states.

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