Donald Trump's newly reported campaign ad-buy in Florida has analysts arguing he wanted to kick back at Mar-a-Lago and just watch himself on T.V.
Eyebrows arched Monday after Medium Buying, a political ad firm whose clients include Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), reported the Trump campaign will begin placing 15-second ads on cable news channels in West Palm Beach on Tuesday.
The ads target a region near Trump's social club that NBC News political reporter Matt Dixon described as the former president's "really expensive" home media market.
"If this isn't just the tip of a larger buy, Trump better be seated in front of his favorite show at just the right time to see the ad," Dixon wrote. "If this does not grow, might be to show the candidate he is on TV in his home."
Media Buying did not report the cost of the purchase, but enormous amounts of cash have been flowing into both Trump's and Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaigns.
Harris’ month-old campaign announced this week it raised $540 million with a donation surge during the Democratic National Convention as she and running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) accepted their party's nominations, PBS News reports.
In comparison, Trump's two-year-old campaign announced earlier this month it raised $138.7 million in July — less than Harris' take in her first week — and reported $327 million in the coffers a the beginning of August, according to the report.
Harris momentum is also having an impact on the polls.
An NPR analysis of Florida polling data shows Harris is gaining ground in six swing states, right-leaning Florida among them. Poll site 538 shows Trump's 5-point lead over Harris on his home turf dropping a full point in less than two weeks.
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Bulwark reporter Marc Caputo argued Monday Trump's likely Florida victory suggests the purpose of the ad-buy was not to persuade undecided Florida voters.
"Trump is in little danger of losing Florida," Caputo wrote. "But his staff is in great danger of incurring his wrath if he —and his Palm Beach pals— don’t see his ads at Mar-a-Lago (Trump is barely home this week, so this is as much/more about his pals)."
National security attorney Bradley Moss scoffed at the expenditure and suggested an alternative for the cash he argued would prove just as fruitful to the campaign.
"Why not just set the money on fire?" he wrote.
