The Biden campaign hit former President Donald Trump on the Juneteenth federal holiday Wednesday for “hosting fraudulent Black voter outreach events” and launched a new ad aimed at Black voters.
The new 60-second ad, titled “Our Spirit,” highlights the accomplishments of Black Americans. It will air in 30- and 60-second television slots for one week in Georgia and Michigan, and on the Black Entertainment Network and other Black culture-centric outlets.
It will also be on the radio and other programming in Augusta, Georgia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.
The ad will also be airing during the Giants vs. Cardinals baseball game honoring the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham on Fox in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Detroit.
“While Donald Trump spends his time hosting fraudulent Black voter outreach events that turn out majority white audiences, our campaign will continue engaging Black voters with genuine outreach that highlights the various ways President Biden and Vice President Harris have put Black America at the forefront of their administration – including making Juneteenth a federal holiday,” said Biden-Harris Principal Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks.
“On Juneteenth we not only celebrate how far we’ve come as a community, but we must also emphasize all that Black America has at stake this election,” he said.
He touted new jobs created for Black workers, along with the student loan debt forgiveness that is “working to close the racial wealth gap.”
He said that Black voters “have the most to lose this election.”
The Trump campaign said in its Juneteenth statement that Mr. Trump’s leadership will guide the Republican Party “to advance the American dream for all people.”
“’All slaves are free!’ This was the cry that rang out on June 19th, 1865,” said Janiyah Thomas, the Team Trump Black media director. “The principle of freedom has always been at the foundation of the Republican Party. Today, we reflect on how far we have come as a nation and remember that light will always triumph over darkness.”
Both candidates are trying to appeal to Black voters amid signs that their support for Mr. Biden is eroding.
A USA Today/Suffolk University poll conducted from June 9-13 found that a majority of Black voters in Pennsylvania, 56.2%, and Michigan, 54.4%, would support Mr. Biden if the election were held now.
But the poll also shows a decline in support for Mr. Biden in both states. Mr. Biden’s support in Pennsylvania is down 20 percentage points from those who voted for him in 2020, while in Michigan his support is down 22 percentage points from those who say they voted for him in 2020.
Mr. Trump has risen in the polls since 2020 in both swing states, with about 15% of Black voters in Michigan saying they’ll support him and 11% in Pennsylvania, compared to the 9% support he saw in Michigan in 2020 and 8% he saw in Pennsylvania.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.