President Joe Biden's campaign released a new advertisement on Friday targeting former President Donald Trump over comments he made during the first presidential debate.
"Donald Trump doesn’t care about you," Biden posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, along with the video.
The video features clips of Trump from the debate, accompanied by text highlighting why Trump is a threat to democracy.
It opens with the statement, "Donald Trump doesn't care about our veterans," followed by a clip of Trump using the words "suckers and losers," a phrase the Biden campaign has repeatedly criticized. However, Trump disputes it as the account of his comments rests primarily on unnamed sources published by "The Atlantic."
The video goes on to state that Trump "doesn't care about our democracy."
This segment cuts to a clip from the debate where Trump asserts that the U.S. was respected worldwide on January 6, 2021, the day the Capitol was stormed.
The ad further claims Trump "doesn't care about Black families," showing him saying, "They're [immigrants are] taking Black jobs," a comment that sparked backlash from Black Americans.
Additionally, the campaign argues Trump cares little about reproductive rights, showcasing a clip of the former president mentioning his appointment of three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, calling it "a great thing."
The advertisement concludes with a stark message: "Donald Trump only cares about himself. And if he wins, he'll only help himself. Because he doesn't care about you."
This advertisement appears to respond to Biden's underwhelming debate performance, which has caused concern among Democrats. Since the debate, calls for Biden to step aside in favor of another candidate to face Trump in November have intensified.
During a campaign rally on Friday, Biden acknowledged his poor debate performance, stating, "Whether young or old, here's what I know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job."
He emphasized his commitment by saying, "I would not be running again if I did not believe with all of my heart and soul that I can do this job because, quite frankly, the stakes are too high."
Concerns about Biden's age have been a significant factor, and even his most loyal supporters admitted the debate did not alleviate these worries.
According to the BBC, Democratic strategist David Plouffe described the situation as "a Defcon 1 moment," a term denoting the highest level of military threat.
"They seemed about 30 years apart tonight," Plouffe commented on the two candidates, who are less than four years apart in age. "And I think that's going to be the thing that voters really wrestle with coming out of this."