In a strategic move aimed at shoring up support among their base and attracting more moderate voters, President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is launching a comprehensive digital ad campaign that takes direct aim at former President Donald Trump and other leading Republican presidential candidates. Their target? The highly contentious issue of abortion.
The Biden campaign released a 60-second ad targeting former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) for their stances on abortion, vowing to “never allow a national abortion ban to become law” https://t.co/4wVYGyzi1K pic.twitter.com/7PpkoQBrcm
— The Hill (@thehill) September 9, 2023
As President Biden’s approval ratings face headwinds due to concerns about his age and diminishing enthusiasm within the Democratic party, his campaign is doubling down on an issue they believe can galvanize their supporters and draw a stark contrast with the opposition.
The centerpiece of this campaign is a hard-hitting ad that lambasts Donald Trump for his role in appointing three U.S. Supreme Court justices who played a pivotal role in the controversial decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that established a woman’s right to choose. The ad doesn’t stop there; it also takes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to task for signing a six-week abortion ban into law. This move by DeSantis puts him squarely in the camp of those advocating for stringent abortion restrictions.
The ad is slated to run on television and YouTube in three states that have recently enacted robust pro-life legislation: Florida, South Dakota, and Iowa. This targeted approach is part of a more extensive $25 million media blitz aimed at key battleground states. The Biden campaign is resolute in its mission to make abortion access a central plank of their re-election platform. They hope to exploit any potential division between pro-life Republicans and moderate voters who may not align with the party’s socially conservative stance.
In stark contrast, the Trump campaign has approached the abortion issue with caution during their campaign trail appearances. Recent polls have suggested that unflinching support for strict abortion bans within the Republican base may have contributed to lackluster results in the 2022 midterms. Former President Trump has been explicit in his belief that the Supreme Court was right to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively leaving the regulation of abortion to individual state governments.
On the question of federal legislation to ban abortion, Trump has advocated for a national conversation among Americans. He suggests that any such legislation should be the outcome of negotiations involving stakeholders from both sides of the abortion debate. Furthermore, the former President has emphasized his view that Republicans should make exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and situations where the life of the mother is in jeopardy.
As the 2024 election cycle heats up, it’s clear that abortion will remain a hot-button issue. President Biden’s campaign is staking a significant portion of their strategy on it, hoping to energize their base and sway undecided voters. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign appears keen to navigate the turbulent waters of the abortion debate, mindful of the delicate balance required to maintain unity within their party.