Biden campaign unveils ads challenging Trump’s claims about accomplishments for Black Americans

The Biden campaign rolled out a pair of new TV and radio ads Thursday targeting former President Trump over his claims about his record with Black Americans and hitting him over his rhetoric.

The first ad, a television spot called “Contempt,” highlights Trump’s past comments about Black people, including his calls for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, a group of teens whose rape convictions were later overturned.

The ad also cites accusations from the 1970s that Trump and his father refused to rent properties to prospective Black tenants.

The second ad, called “Knock Knock,” is a 60-second radio spot that highlights Trump’s record on Black Americans by depicting a conversation between a Trump campaign canvasser and a potential voter.

The ads are part of a $14 million blitz for May, which will focus on reaching Black, Latino, and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander voters.

“I urge Black and brown communities across the country: do not sit this election out. Our voices are powerful, our votes are crucial,” New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam, one of the Central Park Five, said in a statement through the Biden campaign. “We must come together to ensure that a man like Donald Trump never steps foot in the White House again. Our future, our children’s future, and the very soul of our nation depend on it.”

The new ads were released the same day Trump is set to hold a rally in the Bronx in New York City. Trump has frequently claimed he was the best president for Black Americans other than Abraham Lincoln.

Janiyah Thomas, Black media director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement that the ads fail “to address Biden’s terrible policies that are hurting our community.”

“The Biden campaign is panicking because they see that Black voters aren’t buying what Biden is selling, and President Trump is receiving a record high support in the polls from Black voters that we haven’t seen in decades” Thomas said, citing Biden’s support for the 1994 crime bill and the inflation that has plagued much of Biden’s first term.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a top contender to serve as Trump’s running mate and the lone Black Republican in the Senate, hit back at the advertisements, saying Biden’s record on race is “disgusting, it’s vile, and it’s un-American.” Scott noted that Vice President Harris chastised Biden over his record on busing during the Democratic primary debates in the 2020 cycle.

A New York Times poll published earlier this month found Biden leading Trump among Black voters, 63 percent to 23 percent, a significant decrease from the 87 percent of Black voters who voted for Biden in 2020. 

Updated at 12:06 p.m. EDT