Joe Biden Ramps Up Campaign Spending As Approval Plummets – After a trip abroad to India for the G20 Summit and Vietnam, President Joe Biden returned to domestic policy this week with a high-profile speech on the economy in Maryland.
During the 30-minute speech, the President compared “Bidenomics” and “MAGAnomics” – the latter a reference to Donald Trump’s slogan Make America Great Again.
“Their plan, MAGAnomics, is more extreme than anything America has ever seen before,” Biden said. “Just months ago, they went further than anyone has ever gone, threatening to default on the debt.”
Biden went further on criticism of his predecessor, stating that Trump lost “two million jobs over the course of his presidency,” an understated fact which is actually closer to 2.7million, according to Federal Reserve data.
The speech marked a new approach by the Biden campaign to boost his poll numbers. After all, the President’s approval rating hovers around a low 40%, and many polls have him tied with Republican frontrunner Trump in a head-to-head battle.
Advertisements Galore
Biden 2024 is pumping $25million into new advertising to convey his message to voters in important states. For 16 weeks, the Biden campaign will run advertisements in eight battleground states, namely Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Florida. It is reportedly the largest overall ad buy for a re-election campaign at this point in an election cycle.
The advertisements will air during high-profile television events such National Football League games and Major League Baseball’s World Series, as well as digital media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. Likely adversary Trump has little spending planned for advertising – perhaps as he gets enough free coverage through the media as it is – with no buys from his campaign or Super PACs until at least November.
Biden’s campaign ads will be focused on an optimistic message on how America “fought back” from the COVID-19 pandemic, hinting towards record low unemployment rates and the increase in jobs in manufacturing.
Bidenomics Not Working for Joe Biden
It’s an optimistic message the campaign desperately needs, as voters remain concerned about high levels of inflation and a delay in real wage rises to match it. Granted, inflation is below its 9.1% peak in June 2022, but everyday Americans are still feeling the pinch.
Trump’s campaign has toyed with cutting corporate tax rates and introducing new tariffs on imports, ideas which Biden’s team have retaliated against. “Combining a sweeping tariff tax on the middle class with more trickle-down tax welfare for rich special interests would stifle economic growth and fuel inflation,” said White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates.
However, criticism of the President’s handling of the economy is not just coming from the Trump half of the GOP. On Wednesday, Senate leader Mitch McConell said that “the President appears to be taking a victory tour.”
“Bidenomics may be working,” he said. “But it’s working against working Americans.”
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
