Trump and his allies move to bury Biden

Donald Trump’s allies are moving to capitalize on Joe Biden’s stumbles.

A big-spending super PAC linked to Republican mega-donor Miriam Adelson is set to spend $61 million on TV and digital ads attacking Biden, as the besieged president faces calls from within his own party to step aside following his disastrous debate performance.

Preserve America will begin airing commercials later this month, timed to coincide with the start of the Summer Olympics, which is expected to draw massive viewership, according to a person with direct knowledge of the plans who was granted anonymity to discuss the matter. The ads, which will run through Labor Day, will air in three Rust Belt battleground states — Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Word of the major advertising blitz comes as Trump is expected to step up his attacks on Biden this week. Trump is slated to hold a rally at his Doral, Florida golf on Tuesday and another rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania on Saturday. He is also scheduled to make an appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on Monday evening — his first major interview since the debate.

Trump could also announce his vice presidential pick, a decision he and his team have kept closely under wraps, though exact timing on the announcement remains in flux.

Trump had kept a relatively — and uncharacteristically — low profile since the June 27 debate, allowing Biden’s shaky performance to dominate the news. But that is now changing as the former president begins clawing back the news cycle. Trump’s team on Monday unveiled its plans for next week’s Republican National Convention, which will highlight, among other things, Biden’s record on crime and national security.

But in recent days Trump and his campaign publicly delighted in the discord within Democratic ranks. On Truth Social, the former president posted negative headlines about Biden, and Trump’s campaign fundraised off speculation that Vice President Kamala Harris could step in to replace Biden.

“Biden is dropping out!” and “President Kamala Harris?” read two fundraising email subject lines.

The former president is also getting backup from its outside allies.

Taylor Budowich, the CEO of Make America Great Again, the primary super PAC supporting Trump, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, “Sorry, Democrats, Biden Is Your Man,” arguing that it is too late — and too complicated — for Democrats to nominate anyone but Biden. And MAGA Inc. PAC pushed out polls and headlines about Biden.

Preserve America’s ad blitz will start the week after the convention. The super PAC announced plans in May to resuscitate the organization, which also spent extensively to bolster Trump in the 2020 election. Adelson and her late husband, casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, donated $90 million to Preserve America that year – about 85 percent of what the group raised in total.

Adelson is expected to be a major donor to Preserve America again, and the group has said it will spend more than the $100 million it did in 2020. The organization’s plans are more aggressive than four years ago, when it didn’t begin running commercials until after Labor Day.

The person with knowledge of the group’s plans said it has so far raised money from around 50 donors.

The commercials will focus on immigration, national security and the economy.

“Joe Biden and his hard left allies have raised the cost of living, let terrorists cross our border, and crushed our veterans,” said Dave Carney, a senior adviser for Preserve America. “And we’re going to put a boot on their necks so he can’t continue ruining our country over the next four years.”

Preserve America is one of three Trump-aligned super PACs that are expected to play a major role in the campaign. MAGA Inc., which is run by Trump ally Taylor Budowich, has laid out a $100 media spending plan focusing on four battleground states. MAGA Inc. and Preserve America have been in contact to limit any duplicative efforts, according to a person familiar with the conversations.

Right for America, another pro-Trump super PAC, is being heavily financed by former Marvel Entertainment executive Ike Perlmutter. The outfit has yet to announce its spending plans.