Former Vice President Mike Pence is launching a $3 million ad campaign in key swing states to criticize Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ economic proposals, particularly her plan to raise taxes by as much as $5 trillion if elected. Pence’s nonprofit conservative advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, will run digital ads in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Montana, highlighting the economic successes of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed by former President Donald Trump.
The ads feature testimonials from individuals such as AnnMarie Nelms, a restaurant owner in Pennsylvania, who credits the 2017 tax cuts for economic growth and expansion of small businesses in the state. Nelms criticizes Harris for wanting to implement what she calls the largest tax increase in American history, claiming that it would harm small-business owners. Liane Taylor, a real-estate broker in Montana, also expresses support for making the tax cuts permanent to maintain affordable rent and mortgage rates.
The ad campaign also targets Democratic lawmakers such as Sen. Bob Casey in Pennsylvania and Sen. Jon Tester in Montana, who voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The campaign aims to highlight the preference of a majority of Americans, including Republicans and some Democrats, for lower taxes. The messaging memo distributed by Advancing American Freedom to Republican candidates emphasizes the record-high real median household income achieved under the Trump administration in 2019 and the significant job growth during that period.
According to recent polling by AAF, a majority of Americans support lower taxes, with real wages and salaries being $3.6 trillion higher than initially estimated due to the tax cuts. The group’s messaging memo also references the addition of 5 million jobs to the economy from the time the tax cuts were signed until the COVID-19 pandemic began. A separate analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation suggests that Harris’ economic agenda could result in the loss of 786,000 jobs, adding $4.1 trillion to the national debt while shrinking the GDP and reducing wages.
Pence’s ad campaign reinforces the messaging that the 2017 tax cuts were beneficial for American households, businesses, and economic growth, contrasting them with the potential negative consequences of Harris’ proposed tax increases. By targeting swing states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Montana, where economic issues are particularly salient, Pence aims to influence voter perceptions of Harris’ economic policies and encourage support for Republican candidates who align with the group’s fiscal priorities. The campaign underscores the ongoing debate over tax policy and its impact on job creation, economic growth, and household finances in the context of the upcoming presidential election.
