Biden’s campaign ad criticizes Trump for felony convictions.

After weeks of waiting, President Biden’s reelection campaign finally released a new television ad on Monday that takes a direct shot at former President Donald Trump. The ad focuses on Trump’s historic felony conviction in his New York hush money trial back in May.

The 30-second ad, titled “Character Matters,” opens with a black-and-white image of Trump sitting inside the Manhattan criminal courtroom where he was found guilty on all 34 charges related to his attempts to conceal a hush money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.

A voice-over in the ad says, “In the courtroom we see Donald Trump for who he is,” and goes on to remind viewers of Trump’s hush money conviction, the Trump Organization’s tax fraud conviction, and his liability for sexual assault in E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit.

The voice-over then contrasts Trump with President Biden, highlighting Biden’s work on lowering healthcare costs and ensuring that big corporations pay their fair share. It emphasizes that the election is a choice between a convicted criminal who is only looking out for himself and a president who is fighting for families across the country.

The Biden campaign’s press release accompanying the ad stated, “The ad makes clear that Trump’s status as a convicted felon isn’t just a label, but a reflection of a spiraling and unhinged man who will do anything for power, revenge, and retribution.” The ad is part of a larger $50 million campaign ahead of the upcoming presidential debate on June 27 in Atlanta.

Michael Tyler, a spokesman for the Biden-Harris campaign, emphasized the contrast between Trump, who is approaching the debate as a convicted felon seeking power and revenge, and Biden, who is focused on fighting for safer communities, the middle class, and fair treatment for corporations.

In response, the Trump campaign defended the former president, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stating that the Biden administration had “weaponized the justice system” against Trump. She asserted that the debate would highlight the contrast between Trump’s strength and success and Biden’s perceived weakness, failures, and dishonesty.

As for the polls, some independent voters who previously supported Trump expressed that they would be less likely to vote for him if he was convicted of a crime. A Politico poll conducted after Trump’s conviction found that 21% of independent voters were less likely to support him in the upcoming election.

Looking to the future, Trump is set to be sentenced on July 11 and could potentially face up to four years in prison for each of the 34 felony counts, though experts believe he may not serve the maximum sentence due to being a first-time offender. Meanwhile, President Biden’s son, Hunter, was recently convicted in federal court for lying about his drug addiction while purchasing a gun in 2018 and could potentially face up to 25 years in prison at his sentencing.