Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign on Wednesday launched a massive ad buy aimed at tying former President Donald Trump to Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals Democrats say threatens abortion rights, public education and more.
The focus on Project 2025 will be part of a $370 million media campaign that will run between Labor Day and Election Day in battleground states. Campaign officials say the goal of the ad buy is to make the case to voters that Project 2025 is a “threat to every value that Americans hold dear.”
“From cutting Social Security and Medicare to defunding the Department of Education, banning abortion nationwide and using the power of the presidency to seek vengeance against his political rivals, there are no limits to the extreme steps Donald Trump will take if he wins,” said Quentin Fulks, the Harris campaign’s principal deputy campaign manager.
The first ad is being released in the run-up to the scheduled Sept. 10 debate between Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump, which will be broadcast by ABC News. Titled “Control,” the ad argues that Mr. Trump will “aggressively” target political rivals “as the most powerful president ever.”
“Donald Trump may try to deny it, but those are Donald Trump’s plans,” the ad says of the Project 2025 blueprint. “He’ll take control; we’ll pay the price.
Mr. Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025, even though many of his closest policy advisers were involved in drafting the 900-page book. Project 2025 was orchestrated by the Heritage Foundation and backed by a coalition of conservative groups but was never officially endorsed by the Trump campaign.
Last month, Mr. Trump said Project 2025 goes “way far” on abortion and blasted attempts to link him to it as “pure disinformation.”
The Harris campaign has hammered Mr. Trump over the Project 2025 policy blueprint. Most speakers at the Democratic National Convention last week referenced it in their speeches, and comedian Keenan Thompson performed a comedy skit ripping Project 2025.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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