Democratic group launches $20M ad campaign targeting Trump after Biden steps aside

A major Democratic super PAC is launching a $20 million ad campaign in battleground states hitting former President Trump over the events of Jan. 6, 2021, following the Republican convention and the change atop the Democratic ticket.

American Bridge 21st Century, which is also the party's main opposition research outfit, will begin airing ads on Friday as part of the campaign. It marks a significant investment in the blue wall states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan as Democrats have been jolted by President Biden's decision not to seek reelection, with Vice President Harris becoming the likely nominee.

“American Bridge's program to defeat Donald Trump has always been about three things: abortion, democracy, and freedom. Today, voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are remembering that Trump is responsible for the violent attack on our Capitol that bloodied law enforcement officers, that he's a convicted felon, and that even his own cabinet and staff think he’s unfit to be president,” Bradley Beychok, co-founder of American Bridge 21st Century, said in a statement.

“Trump spreads chaos and destruction everywhere he goes, and voters are fed up. They want to stop being terrified of what could possibly come next with another four years of him in charge," he added. "The fact that he’s now running against a dedicated former attorney general and prosecutor with years of experience putting criminals like him behind bars makes these ads even more powerful.”

The first ad features a man named Joe from Northumberland County in Pennsylvania speaking over footage of the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6. He argued the Jan. 6 riots would not have happened if not for Trump inciting violence and describes himself as a former Republican.

"He has no sense of right and wrong," Joe says in the ad.

The $20 million ad buy is part of a broader $200 million investment by American Bridge in the 2024 cycle.

Biden announced Sunday afternoon he would not run for a second term amid mounting pressure from elected Democrats for him to step aside, citing concerns he could not defeat former President Trump in November. A short time later, he endorsed Harris as the nominee.

Harris has quickly consolidated support among Democrats, already securing the backing of enough delegates to be the likely Democratic nominee.