‘Extremely Confident’ Trump Campaign Pulls Midwest Ad Buys, Moves Focus To Sun Belt

Topline

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has pulled millions of dollars in TV from Midwestern states that voted red in 2016 — but where recent polls put him behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden — to focus on Sun Belt swing states where Trump has even more ground to make up.

Key Facts

Big Number

$150 million. That’s how much more money the Biden Campaign and the Democratic National Committee raised in August than the Trump Campaign. Though the September fundraising numbers have yet to be released, observers believe Biden has a significant advantage – Biden’s campaign raised $10 million in three hours on the night of the first presidential debate.

Crucial Quote

“President Trump and his campaign are extremely confident about our chances in these states,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager said in a statement. “We have been talking directly with voters for years via multiple avenues about the success of President Trump’s America First agenda. Unlike Joe Biden, campaign ads aren’t the only way we know how to campaign.”

Tangent

Vice President Mike Pence, who has hit the campaign trail in Trump’s stead since the President was sidelined with a Covid-19 diagnosis, plans to attend a rally in The Villages, Florida, one of the country’s largest retirement communities.