Vice President Kamala Harris withdrew her first two presidential campaign ads aimed at Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander voters, focusing on health care and anti-Asian hate.
The two spots, first shared by NBC News, are being aired on both digital and television and are part of a major $90 million media buy across several battleground states.
The ad is also airing in battleground states such as Arizona, Georgia and Nevada to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week. These will be distributed on apps such as Snap, YouTube, and iHeart Radio, as well as ethnic media outlets in the United States such as The Filipino Channel, 3HmongTV, SBS Television Korea, and Zee TV.
Asian Americans, the fastest growing electorate, are expected to make up more than 6% of voters in November, including 1,444,503 voters in battleground states. But in certain battleground states like Nevada, where they make up 11% of the population, they could close the gap.
“The Seal,” an ad that began airing on Monday, criticizes Republican candidate Donald Trump for using words like “kung flu” in the midst of a pandemic, but the term is used to refer to people of Asian descent. It’s something many in the American community have condemned as “anti-Asian.” The ad compares Trump’s words to those of Harris, who said in a speech featured in the ad that Trump’s language promoted “xenophobia.” , says Trump should not be allowed to stand behind the “Seal of the President of the United States” again.
“When President Trump called the coronavirus ‘kung flu,’ he unleashed a wave of hate against our community,” said Terry, Metro Nashville City Council member and Asian American community leader.・Mr. Vo spoke on the spot. “It was scary. People didn’t feel safe.”
According to a 2020 report by the nonprofit group Stop AAPI Hate, 1,843 incidents were reported to the group between March 19 and May 13, 2020, the last day of President Trump’s term. In more than a quarter of these incidents, the perpetrators brought up the word “China” or “Chinese people” in the discriminatory act. And 17.5% of cases parroted the term “Chinese virus.”
Trump campaign senior adviser Stephen Chan said in a statement that “there is no greater champion of the AAPI community” than Trump.
“He created an environment where diversity, equal opportunity, and prosperity were available to all. “Anyone who says otherwise is a political player using the AAPI community for their own gain. The 2024 campaign is poised to build on the strength and success of Asian Americans during President Trump’s first term and propel him into history. ” said Mr. Chan. This is my second victory. ”
Harris’ second ad, “Reduced,” began airing last week and accuses President Trump of trying to “rip away” the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The report notes that the ACA reduced the number of uninsured Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) by 63%.
“Trump is scary,” said Rosita Lee, a longtime Las Vegas-based community leader. “He wants to end health care protections for people in our community.
President Trump has been inconsistent in his stance on the ACA. During his term, he tried unsuccessfully to repeal the law. And last November, he wrote on social media that “Obamacare sucks!!!” and vowed to “replace” the plan if re-elected. But earlier this year, he denied abandoning the policy.
“I’m not running to end the ACA, as crooked Joe Biden has been saying all over the place,” Trump said in the video. “We’re going to make the ACA much better than it is today and much cheaper for our customers.”
Andrew Penn, AANHPI spokesperson for the Harris-Waltz campaign, said the ad reminds the community that “the choice in this election is clear.”
“Leaders like Rosita and Terry know how much the AANPI community suffered during President Trump’s first term, and it will be even worse during President Trump’s second term.”
The ad follows the launch of the campaign’s support program for AANHPI in July, according to a press release. Since then, Team Harris Waltz has hired more community-focused staff and is planning more culturally specific voter contact efforts, as well as verbal solicitation and phone banking. stated in the release.
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