The Democrat-leaning America’s Future Majority Fund super PAC (political action committee) unveiled new ads highlighting VP Kamala Harris' record on Ukraine while criticizing former President Donald Trump's comments on the NATO alliance.
The TV and digital ads, which will be run in battleground swing states Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, are expected to target Eastern European-American voters, including the sizeable Polish, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian diasporas, Politico reported on Sept. 12.
The new ad buy is in line with Kamala Harris' appeals to target key voter groups ahead of what is expected to be a razor-thin election result. During the presidential debate on Sept. 10, Harris attempted to appeal to the “800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania,” while warning that Poland may be the next victim of Russian attack if Russian President Vladimir Putin is successful in Ukraine.
"If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now, and understand what that would mean, because Putin's agenda is not just about Ukraine," Harris said during the debate.
Crucial swing state Pennsylvania has a Polish diaspora of 700,000 people and a Ukrainian diaspora of over 120,000 residents - or about a combined six per cent of the state's population. And in Michigan, the large Polish diaspora makes up approximately nine percent of the population, while in Wisconsin, it constitutes about eight percent.
President Joe Biden only defeated Donald Trump by a margin as little as 0.7 percentage points in Wisconsin - or just 20,000 votes - in the 2020 presidential election, with only slightly larger margins in other the swing states.
During the presidential debate on Sept. 10 Harris pledged to support Ukraine while Trump refused to answer whether Ukraine being victorious was in the best interests of the U.S., instead insisting that it was "in the U.S.'s best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. Negotiate a deal."
The former president also reiterated previous statements that his primary concern was ending the war but refrained from detailing how he planned to do so.
The new ad buy also points to Trump's previous comments on investments in defense spending. The ads highlight Trump's previous comments that he would urge Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to NATO countries that fail to meet defense spending obligations.
The America’s Future Majority Fund super PAC is led by former New Jersey Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski, Maryland Democratic State Senator Jim Rosapepe - who previously served as U.S. ambassador to Romania - and former executive director of the Democratic National Committee, Mark Siegel.
Super PACs are considered as independent entities and are legally required to operate independently from political candidates and parties.
Owen Racer
(Updated: )
