Donald Trump’s Campaign Ads ‘Effective in Many Ways’: David Axelrod

Former Obama chief strategist David Axelrod has said that Donald Trump’s campaign ads have been “very effective” in battleground states like Pennsylvania as the race for the White House tightens.
During an appearance on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper on Wednesday, Axelrod responded to the host’s question about why he believed the ads were resonating in Pennsylvania. Tapper noted that top Democrats were worried about Trump’s recent rise in the polls, with some attributing it to the ads’ impact on voters, particularly regarding the issue of fracking.
“I think the Trump media campaign has been very effective in many ways, and they’ve got an easier job,” Axelrod said. He explained that Trump’s team has focused on Harris, using past footage and soundbites from her 2019 campaign to define her in the eyes of voters.
“They basically developed all of their media to try to take down Kamala Harris, who, although she’s the vice president, is still unknown to a lot of people,” he added.
While Harris has a marginal lead in Pennsylvania, the most likely state to decide the election, recent polls have indicated that a Trump victory is not out of the question. With its significant energy sector and a large population of blue-collar workers, issues such as fracking have become central to the campaign.
Despite Harris’ recent efforts to align herself with the Biden administration’s support for fracking, Trump’s ads have focused on her previous opposition to the industry during the 2019 primary, a tactic that has found an audience in energy-reliant regions of Pennsylvania.
“They’ve used plenty of video and audio from her 2019 campaign, including positions she later renounced, and it’s been effective. Her comments have been used well,” Axelrod said, noting that Trump has smartly focused on Harris’s past remarks on issues like gender-affirming surgeries for inmates and her immigration stance.
To explain his position, Axelrod pointed to an ad where Harris hesitated when asked if she would differ from Biden on policy during an interview.
“She probably hesitated out of politeness, but they’ve used it effectively,” Axelrod said, showing how Trump’s campaign used that moment to make her seem uncertain.
Axelrod also noted the effectiveness of Trump’s messaging, partly because Harris hasn’t been as visible. He explained that while Trump could focus on attacking Harris, she had the harder job of introducing herself and criticizing Trump at the same time. “That’s a more complicated task,” he said.
Harris’s best path to victory next month involves winning Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, assuming no surprises elsewhere. For Trump, the easiest way to 270 Electoral College votes is to win North Carolina and Georgia and flip Pennsylvania.