Harris campaign targets Asian Americans in battleground states in new ads

The Harris campaign on Wednesday launched a pair of ads specifically targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders in battleground states, seeking to appeal to a fast-growing voting bloc that will play a key role in November.

The campaign unveiled one ad, titled “Reduced,” that highlights Trump’s past comments about getting rid of the Affordable Care Act. Trump has in recent days suggested he would only get rid of the landmark health care legislation if he can find an alternative to replace it.

In a second ad, titled “The Seal,” the Harris campaign focuses on Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The former president during the pandemic referred to the virus as the “China virus” or the “Wuhan virus,” drawing condemnation from some lawmakers that it was leading to harassment of Asian Americans.

“Vice President Harris is working to lower the costs of healthcare — having already capped insulin at $35 per month for over 2 million [Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander] seniors — while Trump promises to tear critical protections away,” Harris campaign spokesperson Andrew Peng said in a statement.

“And while the Vice President continues to fight relentlessly to keep our families safe, Donald Trump actively encourages anti-Asian hate and remains an active danger to our families and freedoms,” Peng added.

The two ads will air in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which are the seven states expected to determine the outcome of November’s election.

Asian Americans are a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population, and the Harris campaign has previously announced outreach efforts to the group. President Biden won 61 percent of Asian voters in 2020, compared to 34 percent who backed Trump, according to exit polls.