'Shameless political stunt': Internet rips Biden campaign for unveiling a new $50M advertising campaign targeting Donald Trump's conviction

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The Biden campaign unveiled a new advertisement on Monday morning, June 17, as part of a $50 million advertising campaign in anticipation of the first presidential debate later this month. The advertisement highlighted former President Donald Trump's conviction and asserted that "character" would be the defining factor in the 2024 contest. 

The latest commercial 'Character Matters' focuses on the jury's decision in the New York v. Trump case which concluded that the presumed Republican nominee and former president was guilty of 34 counts of first-degree business record fabrication. Trump promised to appeal the ruling after entering a not guilty plea to the charges.

The advertisement will air on general market television and Connected TV 

"This election is between a convicted criminal who is only out for himself, and a president who is fighting for your family," the advertisement says, highlighting Trump’s legal challenges. It states that the president has been focusing on "lowering health care costs and making big corporations pay their fair share."

The advertisement runs ahead of the first presidential debate scheduled for June 27, Fox News reports. According to the campaign, the advertisement will air on national cable, general market television, and Connected TV in all battleground states.

What did Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler say?

"Trump approaches the first debate as a convicted felon who continues to prove that he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump," Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said, according to the outlet. 

"That’s why he was convicted, that’s why he encouraged a violent mob to storm the Capitol on January 6, and it's why his entire campaign is an exercise in revenge and retribution; because that man is blind to the people a president should be serving and will do absolutely anything for his own personal gain and for his own power," he added.

Michael Tyler says 'character matters' in the 2024 presidential campaign

Tyler stressed that, in the 2024 presidential campaign, "character matters, and the President of the United States should be someone who understands that the highest office in the land is about you and your family – not a vehicle to enrich yourself." 

"That is the ethos Joe Biden puts into the job every day: to fight for safer communities, for the middle class, and to ensure that corporations are paying their fair share. It’s a stark contrast, and it’s one that matters deeply to the American people," he said.

Tyler continued, "And it’s why we will make sure that every single day we are reminding voters about how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself."

Donald Trump campaign's point of view on the new advertisement 

The Trump campaign said the new advertisement "once again proves the sham trial was always meant to be election interference, but Americans see through it."

"Despite Biden's failing campaign spending nearly $70 million on media buys, President Trump continues to crush Joe Biden in the polls, leading in every key battleground state and winning independents by double digits," Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. 

"Crooked Joe Biden is down 20 points with Black voters in Pennsylvania and just needed to be led offstage by Obama in a room full of Hollywood elites. The contrast between President Trump’s strength and success versus Crooked Joe Biden’s weakness, failures, and dishonesty will be made clear on the debate stage next week," Leavitt added.

Joe Biden's media campaign will target voters in battleground states

The Biden campaign on Monday, June 17, also said the media campaign will target voters in battleground states for June as part of its "aggressive and comprehensive efforts to engage and activate voters who will decide this election."

The advertisement blitz also includes a "historic" investment to reach Black, Latino, and Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander voters with the campaign calling it the "largest investments to date." 

Biden campaign raised a record $30 million at a star-studded fundraiser

The advertisement campaign follows a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles hosted by Jimmy Kimmel where the Biden campaign raised a record $30 million. Prominent figures in attendance included Hollywood actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts as well as former President Barack Obama.

The massive haul comes after Biden attended a star-studded fundraiser in New York City in April where he raised more than $25 million. In the meantime, CNN will host the first presidential debate in Atlanta on June 27.

Internet labels Joe Biden's new advertisement campaign a 'shameless political stunt'

Netizens berated the Biden campaign for spending a whopping $50 million for the new advertisement targeting Donald Trump. One X user tweeted, "I think Joe will discover that the $50M will be nothing more than a Trump campaign contribution." Another user slammed Biden by saying, "Ha ha His son is also a convicted felon. His brother is up next." 

"Are you kidding me? Spending $50 million to smear Trump as a 'convicted felon' right before the debate? This is a shameless political stunt and a disgraceful waste of money that could be used for actual policy discussion and real issues!" echoed one user.

"One candidate spends 50m from Hollywood elites to tell us whats wrong with Americans. One candidate interacts with average Americans at in person events and collects 50m in contributions from those average Americans. I know which on i want to follow as a leader, do you?" added another. "But he’s so proud of Hunter who is also a convicted felon? I am confused!" commented one user. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.