The political landscape shifted dramatically over the weekend as President Biden took to Twitter to announce he wouldn’t be seeking re-election. The timing and method of this announcement might leave many wondering if he was trying to stay relevant or just couldn’t resist the allure of social media. Nevertheless, he quickly followed up with a tweet showing his “full support” for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee. Maybe he thought it was a clever way to pass the baton, or maybe he just wanted to switch gears before the party embarrassingly stumbled through another campaign cycle.
Not surprisingly, the Trump campaign was poised to pounce on Biden’s bombshell. Senior advisor Chris LaCivita made it very clear that everything Biden touched during his presidency was a recipe for disaster — and Harris was right there, likely with a front-row seat. It seems that the Trump camp had prepared their strategy ahead of time, crafting ads that were set to hit the airwaves almost as fast as the ink dried on Biden’s tweet.
The super PAC backing Trump’s campaign, known as Make America Great Again Inc., wasted no time unleashing a slew of ads targeting key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona. The ads highlighted Harris’s complicity in the Biden administration’s failures, which have left many Americans reeling. They prominently featured images and clips of the vice president showering praise on an obviously fading Biden, as if she was trying to convince the world that everything was just fine — a classic case of putting lipstick on a pig.
Town Hall: The Attack Ads Against Kamala Are Already Dropping and They're Brutal https://t.co/EhRoUuxhbA
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) July 22, 2024
In a dramatic tone, the ads portrayed Harris as the orchestrator behind the scenes during one of the most chaotic periods in recent American history. The narration pointed out that not only did she stand alongside Biden during the tumultuous reign of runaway inflation and a porous border, but she also attempted to mask his increasingly apparent cognitive decline. If Harris had any doubts about her record being scrutinized, they have surely vanished with Biden’s announcement.
As if preparing for a heavyweight showdown, the Trump campaign has signaled that they’ve been ready for this moment. They anticipated the fallout from Biden’s announcement and aimed to pin the chaotic legacy of the Biden-Harris administration squarely on Kamala’s lap. The message is clear: Harris may try to divert attention, but the track record of ineptitude from her time in California and as the vice president will be a heavy anchor to drag along for the ride.
The fireworks were only just beginning, and the Republicans are gearing up to ensure that voters remember who really drove the ship into these treacherous waters. With a campaign strategy that appears firmly in place, it seems they’re ready to highlight the multitude of missteps from the Democratic duo as thoroughly as possible. Whether or not this tactic will resonate among voters remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Trump’s team isn’t going to let Harris slip through the cracks unnoticed.