Republicans have spent an estimated $183 million on television ads focused on transgender-related attacks against Democrats in the final phase of this year’s midterm elections, betting that struggling GOP candidates can leverage the divisive cultural issue to overcome voters’ concerns about President Donald Trump’s leadership and the state of the economy.
The massive investment through Oct. 25 produced about 217,000 TV spots nationwide and exceeds the amount Republicans spent on similar ads in 2024, a presidential election year, at the same point before Election Day, according to tallies provided to The Associated Press by data firm AdImpact.
The spending campaign matched messaging from other Republicans on the campaign trail, led by Trump, who has played down surging gasoline prices and other rising costs, but highlighted what he described as an urgent threat to America’s children from Democratic policies.
Republicans have nothing to run on, so they are trying to manufacture something to run against. Given what the polls look like at the moment, and some of the numbers from early returns, it hasn’t been working. Year after year after year, James Carville keeps being proven right:
I dunno if you wanna use James “Dems should roll over and play dead” Carville as a source of good advice.
Ya, he sucks as a person, but he was right on that point. People vote based on how they perceive the economy to be.
Broken clock that’s wrong 22 hours of the day. Really wish that guy would just shut up and go enjoy retirement.