Democrats Invest Heavily in Midterm Ads Depicting President Trump

Kevin Lamarque / REUTERS President Donald Trump has found an unlikely ally in his push to get voters to picture his name on November’s midterm ballots.

Democratic-aligned groups have poured $163 million into commercials mentioning the 80-year-old president since the start of September, while Republicans have put just $11 million into the same, according to ad spending figures examined by the Associated Press.

The volume of those ads is just as lopsided, with Democratic spots referencing Trump logging around 180,000 airings on TV and streaming services compared with about 16,000 for Republicans.

Trump, 80, begged voters during a speech at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas last month to imagine they’re backing him personally in the November 3 race for control of the House and Senate.

Results have historically shown that MAGA supporters tend to be more mobilized when the president himself is in the running.

But Trump’s approval ratings have cratered to just 32 percent amid his war with Iran and the conflict’s knock-on effect on gas prices and consumer goods across the country.

His plummeting favorability has now helped Democrats gain an astonishing 9-point overall lead ahead of the November polls.

The party’s spending on Trump-themed ads suggests a concerted effort to push that advantage even further just 17 days out from the vote.

The president now ranks fourth among the subjects Democrats raise in their commercials, behind healthcare, taxes, and conflict-of-interest allegations against his administration, the AP reports.

Republican campaigns have placed him 33rd among their advertising themes, prioritizing crime and tax policy instead.

Money wouldn’t appear to be the problem, with overall GOP advertising expenditures at $2.2 billion compared to $1.8 billion for Democrats, according to the AP.

Natalie Baldassarre, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, told the outlet that Democrats are suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and “lighting money on fire” with their commercials because they have no other agenda.

But Alex Conant, a GOP strategist, said Trump’s opponents clearly believe the move is already paying off.

“Democrats want this election to be a referendum on Trump,” he said.