Staff Reports
The recent skirmish in Iowa between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis has all the drama and mudslinging of a reality TV show. These political pals are going at it like the Hatfields and McCoys, with their allies firing off ads left and right. Haley’s posse is poking fun at DeSantis, calling him a Trump wannabe and likening his campaign to a “dumpster fire.” Ouch! On the other side of the ring, DeSantis’ crew is hitting back, accusing Haley of flip-flopping on important issues and labeling her “Tricky Nikki.”
Haley, DeSantis pummel each other in ad war in final weeks before Iowa caucuseshttps://t.co/iDekBClNLX pic.twitter.com/QtU7VbvcgX
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) January 1, 2024
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is sticking to his classic moves and directing his fiery rhetoric at President Biden. He’s blaming Biden for the chaotic situation at the US-Mexico border, claiming that the open border is inviting terrorists and drug traffickers into the country. According to the Trump ad, Biden’s policies have made America vulnerable to attack, and we all know Trump won’t stand for that. He’s promising to secure the border by building more wall and keeping out anyone from “terrorist countries.”
In the midst of all this political theater, money is being thrown around like confetti at a parade. According to AdImpact, a whopping $10.2 billion is projected to be spent on ads across various platforms, including broadcast, cable, radio, satellite, and digital. Talk about deep pockets! This spending spree is set to surpass the record-breaking $9.02 billion splurged during the 2020 election cycle. The candidates are literally burning through cash to grab the voters’ attention, with over $100 million already spent in the GOP presidential primary. It’s an all-out ad war, with the candidates vying for airtime amid car deals, lunch specials, and jewelry sales.
Vivek Ramaswamy has pulled the plug on his planned ads for the early states, and the Never Back Down super PAC supporting DeSantis has also canceled $2.5 million in ad time in Iowa and New Hampshire. The ad wars seem to be cooling down, but don’t count the candidates out just yet. They’re running out of time to sway voters before the upcoming Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. These critical contests will determine whether Trump faces any real competition or continues his winning streak.
In a last-ditch effort to sway the undecided voters, the pro-DeSantis Fight Right super PAC is going for the jugular, questioning Nikki Haley’s trustworthiness and airing clips of her making contradictory statements. The ad paints her as “Tricky Nikki” and suggests that she can’t be trusted. On the flip side, the pro-Haley SFA Fund, Inc. is taking aim at DeSantis, labeling his campaign a “dumpster fire” and claiming that he’s trying too hard to emulate Trump.
Not to be outdone, the Haley camp is taking shots at both Biden and Trump in their ads. They’re painting Biden as too old and Washington as an “exclusive nursing home,” while touting the need for fresh conservative leadership. They’re not pulling any punches, folks! On the other hand, the Trump campaign is having a field day needling its rivals. They’re using clips of DeSantis praising Trump and capitalizing on Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ support for Trump. However, Reynolds is actually backing DeSantis, and she’s calling the TV ad “misleading.” Looks like things just got a little messy.
