Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump plans on airing his first TV ads of the general election season this Friday, after a series of controversies, including a bitter feud with a Gold Star family, have taken a toll on Trump’s poll numbers. The ads will air first in key swing states such as Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
The campaign has not revealed details about the content or tone of the ads, but given Trump’s unconventional style and history of conspiracy-laden accusations, we can expect aggressive commercials that look like they were produced by the National Enquirer splashed across our TV screens soon.
Unlike his rival Hillary Clinton, who has been spending millions of dollars on a flurry of attacks ads across the country, Trump has yet to air a nationally televised ad, leaving many to wonder what the billionaire businessman is doing with all the donation money pouring into his campaign.
“In the past two months, Mrs. Clinton has spent about $61 million on general election ads, while pro-Clinton outside groups have spent another $43 million, according to NBC News,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “She leads Mr. Trump by nearly seven points in national polls, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average, and has posted leads in a number of battleground states.”
Since announcing his candidacy last summer, Trump has masterfully exploited the millions of dollars worth of free media coverage to relay his message to voters. Playing the media like a fiddle, the real estate mogul is still an inescapable fixture on American television sets. A single crass comment or passing quip will receive excessive coverage as the 24/7 cable news cycle gorges itself at the overstocked buffet of Trumpian theatrics.
But all publicity apparently isn’t good publicity. With less than three months left until election day, Trump is trailing by wide margins in the polls. All of them. For a campaign to be successful, it needs to target would-be voters with clear and purposeful messaging. That usually means campaign ads and commercials.
Although Trump’s most loyal supporters have come to believe that every move by the real estate mogul is a prescient Machiavellian power-play, the future is looking grim for the Trump Train. Trump will likely lose if he doesn’t change course quickly. Nationally televised campaign ads are a good start.
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Source: Daily Wire