Democrats Spend $163 Million on Trump-Focused Midterm Ads, Affordability Message/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Democrats and their allies have spent more than $163 million since Sept. 1 on television advertising mentioning President Donald Trump. Republicans have spent an estimated $11 million on ads referencing him, favoring messages about taxes and crime instead. The advertising divide reflects Democrats’ effort to make the midterms a referendum on Trump and connect Republican candidates to rising household costs.
Quick Look
- Democratic spending: More than $163 million has gone toward ads mentioning Trump since Sept. 1.
- Advertising volume: Those Democratic ads aired nearly 180,000 times across broadcast, cable and streaming.
- Republican contrast: GOP ads mentioning Trump aired approximately 16,000 times at an estimated cost of $11 million.
- Affordability argument: Democrats link Republican opponents to Trump’s tariffs, Iran policy and healthcare decisions.
- Messaging priorities: Trump ranked fourth among Democratic ad topics and 33rd among Republican topics.
- Overall spending: Republicans have spent or reserved $2.2 billion nationwide, compared with Democrats’ $1.8 billion.
Deep Look
Democrats Make Trump Central to Midterm Advertising
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump wants voters to imagine that he is on the ballot in this year’s midterm elections. Democratic candidates and their allies are spending heavily to reinforce that connection.
Since Sept. 1, Democrats have devoted more than $163 million to television advertising mentioning Trump, according to an Associated Press analysis of AdImpact media-spending data.
The ads have aired nearly 180,000 times across broadcast television, cable and streaming platforms.
Republicans have taken a markedly different approach. Their ads mentioning the president aired approximately 16,000 times during the same period, at an estimated cost of $11 million.
The disparity shows how differently the parties are using a president who remains dominant within Republican politics but unpopular with the broader electorate.
Ossoff Ads Link Collins to Trump and Higher Costs
Many Democratic advertisements accuse Republican candidates of putting loyalty to Trump ahead of their constituents, particularly on tariffs and the Iran war.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff’s reelection campaign has spent nearly $3 million on one Trump-focused advertisement attacking Republican challenger Rep. Mike Collins.
“Mike Collins voted for Trump’s war in Iran, sending gas prices through the roof. He voted for Trump’s tariffs, sending grocery prices soaring. And Mike Collins voted with Trump to double health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians,” it says. “Mike Collins sides with Donald Trump and makes you pay more.”
The advertisement presents the campaign’s argument that Collins’ relationship with Trump has contributed to higher living costs.
Republicans Say Democrats Lack an Alternative Agenda
Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre rejected the Democratic strategy, arguing that its focus on Trump exposed a lack of substantive proposals.
“Democrats are lighting money on fire talking about President Trump because they have no agenda other than investigation, obstruction and impeachment,” she said. “Trump Derangement Syndrome isn’t a policy platform, it’s a $160 million way of saying you have nothing to offer to the American people.”
The response highlights Republicans’ effort to portray the Democratic campaign as driven by opposition to the president rather than an affirmative governing program.
Pennsylvania Ads Target Fitzpatrick Despite Breaks With Trump
House Majority PAC, a super PAC supporting Democratic House candidates, has used a similar approach against Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
One advertisement features a middle-aged woman at her kitchen stove describing her family as “barely getting by” before criticizing the Republican incumbent.
“He used to be independent. But now it seems like he’s in lockstep with Donald Trump. It really bothers me,” she says, adding, “Congressman Fitzpatrick is not for us anymore.”
Every Democratic advertisement aired in Pennsylvania’s competitive 1st Congressional District since Sept. 1 has mentioned Trump.
That messaging comes despite Fitzpatrick voting against Trump’s tariffs and against his authority to wage war on Iran without congressional approval.
The four advertisements mentioning Trump aired a combined 2,000 times during the period, according to AdImpact.
Fitzpatrick faces Democrat Bob Harvie, a county commissioner and former social studies teacher.
Democratic Strategists Say Affordability Drives the Message
Democratic strategists argue that their advertisements reflect voters’ concerns about household finances and political accountability.
“Every single poll and every single focus group shows affordability to be voters’ number one issue, and they specifically point to corrupt politicians as being responsible for driving up prices,” said House Majority PAC spokesperson Katarina Flicker.
The strategy connects the president to everyday expenses while asking voters to hold Republican congressional candidates responsible for supporting him.
Republicans Emphasize Taxes and Crime
Among the dozens of issue categories AdImpact tracks, Trump ranked fourth in Democratic advertising during the final stretch of House and Senate races.
Only healthcare, taxes and accusations that opponents were beholden to special interests appeared more often.
For Republicans in those races, Trump ranked 33rd. Taxes and crime were their leading advertising subjects.
Some Republican candidates still prominently invoke the president.
Idaho Sen. Jim Risch, for example, tells viewers that he “fought alongside President Trump to pass the biggest tax cuts for working families in American history.”
GOP Holds Overall Advertising Spending Advantage
Across federal, state and local elections, Democrats have spent or plan to spend $1.8 billion on advertising in the final stretch beginning Sept. 1.
Republicans have spent or reserved $2.2 billion nationwide.
Republican strategist Alex Conant said Democrats were relying on Trump to motivate their voters, continuing an approach used throughout the past decade.
“Democrats want this election to be a referendum on Trump. They want to equate a vote for a Republican candidate to a vote for Trump,” he said.
Republicans, he said, were pursuing a wider range of messages.
“We have a ton of money and we’re throwing every kind of message on the wall to see what sticks,” he said. “There’s not a cookie-cutter Republican ad this year. Whereas the Democratic ads are pretty obvious.”
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