The Trump-Vance campaign released a bold new ad on Monday, accusing Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party of fueling violence. The ad comes just 24 hours after a second assassination attempt was made against former President Donald Trump, with the campaign pointing to “Democratic rhetoric” as a contributing factor.
The ad highlights past controversial statements from prominent Democrats, including Harris, who made a joke during a 2018 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about being stuck in an elevator with Trump. Harris asked, “Does one of us have to come out alive?” The ad also includes footage of President Joe Biden expressing, on multiple occasions, a desire to physically fight Trump, saying he’d like to “take him behind the gym.”
In addition to targeting Harris and Biden, the ad takes aim at other key Democratic figures such as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Hillary Clinton, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). The campaign suggests these public figures have contributed to a climate of hostility toward Trump through their statements.
Alongside the ad, the Trump-Vance campaign issued a comprehensive list of examples detailing how Democrats’ rhetoric allegedly “inspired” the recent assassination attempt against Trump. They argue that this kind of language has played a role in increasing violence against the former president.
Criticism of the ad surfaced from left-leaning media outlets, including MSNBC’s MaddowBlog, which dismissed the assassination attempt as merely “apparent.” The blog also justified Harris calling Trump a threat to democracy, framing it as a response to Trump’s actions.
Despite the backlash, the Trump-Vance campaign continues to highlight the connection between Democratic rhetoric and violence against conservatives. The campaign is using this message to rally support ahead of the upcoming election.
