Trump’s New Campaign Ad: A Closer Look
Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign is making waves with a new 30-second television advertisement that is currently airing across key battleground states. The campaign has invested over $10 million in this ad within just a week, according to data from AdImpact.
Let’s break down the ad, examine its claims, and highlight its primary messaging.
Visual Elements of the Ad
The advertisement begins with dramatic imagery of what appears to be migrants running near a border wall. This scene is accompanied by a bold headline stating, “Illegal crossings surge,” referencing an article from the Associated Press dated last December. The visual quickly transitions to a man shopping in a grocery store’s produce aisle, underscored by the phrase “Prices still rising,” citing a report from CNBC from last May.
Following this, the ad showcases a striking clip of a missile strike, highlighting the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, with the headline “Global chaos,” credited to The Wall Street Journal from March.
Next, viewers are presented with a clip of Vice President Kamala Harris, smiling with her hands thoughtfully folded under her chin. This moment transitions into footage from her appearance on the ABC show “The View” on October 8, where she is asked if she would approach any decisions differently from President Biden. After a few moments of contemplation, she responds, “There is not a thing that comes to mind.”
The screen then freezes on her expression, while bold all-caps text narrates, “What would change with Kamala? Nothing.” The ad employs a split-screen effect, showing Ms. Harris seemingly in agreement on one side, while chaotic footage from the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 plays under the headline “More weakness.”
Additional visuals feature an aerial view of a ground explosion labeled “More war,” a crowd of individuals presumed to be migrants marked as “Welfare for illegals,” and a machine counting stacks of $100 bills with the final headline reading: “Harris would raise taxes.”
The ad culminates with a confident portrayal of Donald Trump, filmed from a low angle as he walks across an airport tarmac, greeting a cheering rally crowd, shaking hands with a blue-collar worker, and proudly displaying his signature on a piece of legislation. The closing visuals are accompanied by optimistic headlines such as “Middle-class tax cuts” and “Prices were lower.”
Overall, this advertisement serves to juxtapose Trump’s vision against that of Kamala Harris, aiming to resonate with voters by emphasizing themes of strength, economic stability, and a return to Trump-era policies.