On Friday, former President Donald Trump made a significant move in the 2024 election campaign by investing over $37 million in television ads across seven crucial swing states, primarily in Georgia.
AdImpact, a tracking firm, noted that this is Trump’s largest single-day TV ad purchase of the current election cycle. Out of the $37.2 million reserved, $23.8 million is directed towards Georgia, followed by North Carolina at $4.4 million. Other states included Michigan ($3.1 million), Wisconsin ($2 million), Arizona ($2 million), Nevada ($1.4 million), and Pennsylvania ($867,000).
This hefty ad spending marks a significant boost for the Republican campaign in battleground states that are critical for victory in November. Since President Joe Biden suspended his campaign on July 21, GOP investments in Georgia have totaled $10.4 million, surpassing the Democrats’ $6.6 million in the state, as per AdImpact’s reports.
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Recent polling indicates that Vice President Kamala Harris has been gaining traction in several swing states. According to the Cook Political Report, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia are now classified as “toss-ups,” a change from their previous “lean Republican” status. An Ipsos survey highlighted that Harris holds a slight edge across all seven swing states, with Nevada showing the strongest support for Democrats in over a year.
In Georgia, polls show a closely contested race, with a CNBC/All-America Economic survey revealing Harris trailing Trump by just 2 points. Meanwhile, FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages give Trump a narrow lead of 0.7 points in the state.
Trump narrowly lost Georgia in 2020 by just under 12,000 votes and has claimed, without proof, that his defeat was due to election fraud. Now facing racketeering charges in Fulton County for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 results, Trump has had a rocky relationship with Georgia Republicans, including Governor Brian Kemp. At a recent press conference, Trump expressed uncertainty about mending his ties with Kemp, asserting that he played a pivotal role in Kemp’s election victory in 2018.
During the conference, Trump confidently declared his campaign’s intent to win Georgia, claiming he is “leading in Georgia by a lot.”