Exclusive: Trump campaign takes over YouTube masthead

President Trump’s campaign took over YouTube’s masthead on Sunday, placing a 7-figure ad buy to secure some of the most coveted and pricey real estate on the internet.

The 24-hour takeover features five different ads, with two spots promoting Trump’s support among Black and Latino voters, and three spots attacking Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on taxes, the former vice president’s mental sharpness, and Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.

By Nov. 3, the Trump campaign will have secured the YouTube masthead 20 times this cycle, including on Election Day. Most recently, the Trump campaign took over YouTube for eight days in August for both the Democratic and Republican conventions.

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world and the masthead has more daily reach than CNN and MSNBC combined.

There are two positive ads for Trump running now on YouTube.

One features National Football League great Herschel Walker, who talks about how Trump’s polices have benefitted Black people.

“I’ve known Donald Trump for 37 years,” Walker says. “I’m talking about a deep personal friendship. He keeps right on fighting to improve the lives of Black Americans. He works night and day. He never stops. He leaves nothing on the field.”

The second ad features UFC star Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal is from Miami and is popular among Cubans, who have been the dominant force in GOP politics in Florida for decades.

“Let me tell you something – the Democrats think they’re entitled to the Latino vote,” Masvidal says. “They think we just have to hand it over to them. That’s right. We sure as hell don’t. We’re not going to buy the same wolf tickets and false promises that destroyed great countries like Venezuela and Cuba. It’s not going to happen.”

There are also three negative ads targeting Biden.

The first ad, called “Do you trust Joe with your money?,” is a reel of Biden reciting massive numbers, with headlines running beneath about how his tax plan will result in less household income for ordinary Americans.

The second ad features videos of Biden losing his cool on the campaign trail when he’s asked about his son’s foreign business interests.

The final ad, called “What happened to Joe Biden?”, contrasts videos of Biden speaking fluently on the campaign trail from previous election cycles against instances of him stumbling over his words in recent months.

The YouTube takeover underscores the Trump campaign’s commitment to digital advertising at a time when the Biden campaign is swamping the television airwaves with ads.

The Trump campaign has invested heavily on Facebook and Google, outspending the Biden campaign by $50 million since mid-April, according to data from the Wesleyan Media Project. Still, the two campaigns have spent a roughly equal amount on digital advertising in recent weeks as Biden has built up his cash advantage.

Trump faces a significant cash deficit against Biden in the home stretch to Election Day. The Biden campaign in recent weeks has been outspending the Trump campaign on the television airwaves by huge margins.