By
The Trump campaign launched a new TV ad on Wednesday taking aim at President Joe Biden’s recent weakness: foreign policy.
The 30-second spot features footage of Trump with U.S. soldiers as a narrator says, “As commander in chief, he always had his soldiers’ backs, was always there to support them and their families. He kept his promise to keep them out of endless wars.”
The narrator goes on to say that “having a weak leader can tragically lead to American deaths, which is why America needs strength now, more than ever,” showing footage of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and of Biden appearing to check his watchduring a ceremony where the bodies of Marines killed in a Kabul airport bombing were brought back to the country.
The botched withdrawal from Afghanistan marked the beginning of a drop in Biden’s approval rating. And the latest NBC News national poll finds the war between Israel and Hamas also negatively affecting Biden’s approval, with a notable drop in voters who approve of his handling of foreign policy.
In other campaign news …
Biden vs. Boebert: Biden is heading to GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert’s Colorado district on Wednesday to tout his economic agenda, per NBC’s Megan Lebowitz.
Biden’s Black voter challenge: Politico explores Biden’s struggles among Black voters in South Carolina – and the broader challenges facing the Democratic Party.
Switching sides: A former adviser to Sen. Tim Scott’s presidential campaign is now leading a new super PAC, Fight Right, focused on boosting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, per Politico.
Exit, stage left: Former Google executive Lexi Reese ended her campaign for Senate in California on Tuesday, citing a struggle to raise the money necessary to compete with other candidates who have sizable war chests.
Going on offense: With Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., not running for re-election, Democrats are looking to expand the Senate battlefield to Texas and Florida in their bid to keep their Senate majority, per HuffPost.
Back to the drawing board: Georgia legislators are launching a special session Wednesday to redraw the state’s legislative and congressional districts following a judge’s order to draw more districts with Black majorities.
Calling for change: NBC’s Chuck Todd explores how recent polling shows voters are demanding change, and pessimism among young voters could “create a sea change in our politics.”
