President Biden’s reelection campaign released its first ad of the 2024 cycle on Wednesday, pushing his case for a second term in key swing states with a 90-second spot that focuses heavily on protecting Americans’ freedoms.
The ad, which was released a day after Biden officially announced his reelection bid, echoes many of the themes of the president’s launch video. It features footage of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol and focuses on issues like abortion, gun violence and safeguarding democracy.
“Joe Biden has made defending our basic freedoms the cause of his presidency,” the ad states. “The freedom for women to make their own health care decisions, the freedom for our children to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to vote and have your vote counted, for seniors to live with dignity, and to give every American the freedom that comes with a fair shot at building a good life.”
The ad does not directly name any Republicans, but it references “an extreme movement that seeks to overturn elections, ban books, and eliminate a woman’s right to choose.”
The ad will air on national cable channels in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all key battleground states that are likely to determine the winner of the 2024 presidential election. Biden carried all six states in 2020.
The campaign is expected to release a second ad next week as part of the two-week, seven-figure purchase of airtime.
Biden on Tuesday officially announced his plans to run for reelection after telegraphing his intention to do so for months. The announcement sets up a possible rematch with former President Donald Trump, who is leading in national polls of GOP primary voters, though the former president is expected to face several challengers for the party’s nomination.