Biden campaign calls Trump a “convicted felon” in new ad about former president’s legal cases

President Biden’s campaign is leaning into former President Donald Trump’s legal challenges with a new TV ad calling Trump a “convicted criminal.”

Last month, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in an effort to keep voters from learning about an alleged sexual encounter between the two. Trump denies the sexual encounter took place.

The ad, titled “Character is important,” begins with a narrator saying, “In court, we see Donald Trump as he is.” It then references not only his 34 criminal convictions, but the former president being held responsible for sexual abuse and defamation in May 2023 and the New York City civil case in which a judge concluded that the Trump Organization committed fraud.

“This election is between a convicted criminal, who only defends himself, and a president who fights for his family”, ends the ad, as the campaign seeks to highlight the contrast between the two candidates.

Throughout his various legal battles, Trump has denied any wrongdoing and sought to discredit prosecutors. He indicated he would appeal the conviction of the “hush money” trial involving Stormy Daniels’ payments.

The Biden campaign ad will run in battleground states just over a week before the first presidential debate on June 27 and is part of a $50 million advertising buy for the month of June.

“Trump approaches the first debate like a convicted criminal who continues to prove he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and revenge for Donald Trump,” Biden-Harris 2024 communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement about the announcement. “We will make sure every day we remind voters how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself.”

The 2020 rematch between Biden and Trump remains close. A June CBS News poll found that Biden and Trump are basically tied both nationally and among swing states.

The ad is the latest development in the Biden campaign’s messaging on Trump’s legal issues. In the months leading up to and throughout much of Trump’s “hush money” trial, the campaign avoided leaning heavily on criminal cases, only making subtle references to Daniels’ name in press releases.

That changed in the final weeks of the trial. The campaign held a press conference outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse that featured actor Robert De Niro and two former officers who were at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

In a statement reacting to the decision, Biden said it reaffirmed “the American principle that no one is above the law” and said it is “reckless, it is dangerous, it is irresponsible for anyone to say this was ‘rigged,’ just because they don’t they like the verdict.”

Recent fundraising emails from the Biden campaign also referenced the verdict.

“Here is the blunt truth: a group of 12 Americans from all walks of life reviewed the evidence and unanimously decided to convict Donald Trump,” read an email from early June.

While Biden’s campaign maintained an advantage over Trump when it came to cash on hand, Trump’s campaign saw a boost in fundraising following the convictions. The former president’s campaign claims to have raised US$52.8 million in the 24 hours following the verdict.

The initial reaction to Trump’s conviction did not appear to drastically shake up the race, as most voters said it was not a factor in their vote, according to a June CBS News poll. The same poll, carried out after the decision, revealed that support from important parts of Biden’s base increased slightly.