Kamala Outpaces Trump by $47M in Digital Ad Spending During First Month as Nominee

Vice President Kamala Harris has dramatically outpaced former President Donald Trump in digital ad spending since taking over as the Democratic nominee, raising concerns among Republicans as the 2024 election approaches. In the first month alone, the Harris campaign outspent Trump’s campaign by at least $47 million in digital ads and more than $20 million in ads on digital streaming services, according to a detailed analysis by The Daily Wire.

• Massive Spending Disparity: From July 25 to August 23, the Harris campaign spent an eye-popping $27,388,780 on Meta ads, compared to just $2,631,466 spent by the Trump campaign. Similarly, the Harris campaign invested heavily in YouTube, shelling out $11,257,700, while Trump’s team spent only $5,393,600. Harris's focus included targeting reliably blue states like California, New York, and Washington, possibly to boost her popular vote tally and fundraising efforts, while Trump zeroed in on battleground states like Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

• Strategic Differences: The Harris campaign’s strategy includes significant spending in deep-blue states that are unlikely to influence the Electoral College but could contribute to a popular vote advantage. This could be a calculated move to challenge the legitimacy of the Electoral College if Harris wins the popular vote but loses the presidency, a scenario Democrats have criticized in the past.

• Digital Dominance: Beyond social media, Harris’s campaign has outspent Trump in Google ads as well, with $18,933,100 spent compared to Trump’s $2,197,800. Despite targeting battleground states, Harris’s large ad buys in states like California and New York indicate a broader strategy aimed at mobilizing the Democratic base and raising funds.

• Questionable Tactics: The Harris campaign has also benefitted from alleged “bugs” on platforms like Google, where search suggestions and results appeared to favor Harris over Trump. Additionally, her campaign was caught altering headlines in Google searches to make them more favorable.

• Future Ad Spending: Looking ahead, the Harris campaign has reserved $370 million for post-Labor Day ad buys, including $170 million for television ads and over $200 million on digital streaming platforms. In comparison, Trump’s campaign has secured ad buys only in Pennsylvania and Georgia, with legal fees from ongoing Democrat-led lawsuits reportedly draining his campaign funds.

While the Trump campaign has relied heavily on earned media through his rallies and public appearances, the stark difference in ad spending is raising alarms among Republicans. The Harris campaign’s aggressive spending could be a game-changer in the final stretch to November, particularly if Trump’s campaign doesn’t ramp up its ad efforts.

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