Biden Campaign Buys Ad Time on Trump's Night

Biden spot to run during GOP convention, following Harris' afternoon speech on TV
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 27, 2020 7:00 PM CDT
Democrats Counterprogram on Trump's Big Day
Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris watch fireworks during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention last Thursday.   (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The Democratic presidential ticket concentrated on counterprogramming Thursday, as President Trump prepared to deliver his prime-time nomination acceptance speech at the White House. Joe Biden's campaign bought 2 minutes of ad time during the TV networks' coverage of the Republican National Convention, the Washington Post reports. The spot begins with clips of Biden riding a bike, walking away from a plane, and jogging up a ramp. "Some people are always in a hurry," the voiceover says. "When Joe Biden is president, America is just going to have to keep up." The clips contrast Biden's energetic displays with Trump slow-walking down a ramp at West Point in June. The ad, which is to run on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News, doesn't mention Trump by name.

Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate, did her bit Thursday afternoon, per Politico, delivering a speech largely about the GOP convention that was carried by the cable networks. The convention's purpose, she said, seemed to be "to soothe Donald Trump’s ego." Republicans weren't doing enough to address the coronavirus pandemic and the racial unrest sparked by police shootings, she argued. Harris described the video of Jacob Blake being shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., as "sickening"; asked by reporters earlier, Trump wouldn't say whether he'd seen it. "It's no wonder people are taking to the streets," Harris said, while decrying the violence. The president "froze" when the pandemic began, she said. "Donald Trump stood idly by and, folks, it was a deadly decision," Harris said. (More Election 2020 stories.)

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