Pro-Trump group makes $10M anti-Biden ad buy in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania

The largest outside group supporting President Trump’s reelection is putting $10 million behind new digital, cable, broadcast and mail ads attacking former Vice President Joe Biden in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

The America First Action PAC has not released the content of its ads, but detailed in a statement on Wednesday its plans to invest $5.5 million strategically in cities across Pennsylvania, along with $2.7 million in Wisconsin and $2 million in Michigan.

It marks the group’s first independent expenditures of the 2020 election cycle.

“It’s time to put Sleepy Joe Biden to bed,” said Brian Walsh, president of America First Action PAC. “This is our first round of spending, with much more to come. By the time November rolls around, voters in battleground states are going to know why Joe Biden is weak, wrong and been around for too long to lead the United States of America.”

Biden has yet to secure the Democratic nomination, but his delegate lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has become increasingly difficult to overcome.

The new spending comes as some Trump allies have been grumbling behind the scenes about being outspent in the super PAC wars.

Last month, the largest Democratic super PAC, Priorities USA, went up with $6 million in ads in the same three states attacking the president’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Trump campaign threatened to sue over the ad, saying that it made a false claim about Trump calling the coronavirus a “hoax.”

But campaigns are barred from coordinating with super PACs, and some close to the Trump campaign have been frustrated that America First did not respond immediately with its own wave of advertisements defending the president.

Priorities USA announced last week that it would expand its initial $6 million ad buy to $7.6 million in response to the America First investment.

America First said its new ads will run between mid-April and the end of May.