Kamala Harris’ campaign released a 30-second ad titled “Crowd Size” taunting former President Donald Trump for his fixation with the sizes of his crowds. The ad features footage of former President Barack Obama mocking Trump for his obsession during the Democratic National Convention, contrasting it with video of Trump talking about his crowd sizes and less-than-busy campaign events. Obama criticized Trump for his childish behavior, crazy conspiracy theories, and weird obsession with crowd sizes, drawing cheers from the audience.
The ad was released on the day of the first and possibly only presidential debate between Harris and Trump. It references one of Trump’s first lies during his presidency, which was about the size of the crowd at his inauguration in January 2017. Trump has also recently falsely claimed that Harris used artificial intelligence to make a crowd at one of her rallies appear larger in images. Harris’ campaign communications director criticized Trump for focusing on crowd sizes while the American people are more concerned about which candidate will make their lives better.
The ad also mentions Project 2025, a right-wing playbook of extremist policies authored by the Heritage Foundation that Trump is expected to adopt if he wins back the White House. Despite his attempts to distance himself from the plan, many of his former administration aides were involved in creating it. Harris’ team believes the debate will highlight the choice Americans face at the ballot box, between Harris who is fighting for the people to improve their lives, and Trump who is focused on himself and the size of his crowds.
In addition to the “Crowd Size” ad, Harris’ team released a 60-second spot featuring comments from former Trump allies who have abandoned his pursuit of a potential second term. These allies explain why they no longer support Trump, citing reasons such as his lack of empathy, divisive rhetoric, and failure to prioritize the well-being of Americans. The ad highlights the growing disillusionment with Trump among those who were previously aligned with him, emphasizing the importance of choosing a candidate who will prioritize the needs of the people.