Democrats hit Trump on reopening schools in new ad: ‘He ignored science’

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched an ad Monday attacking President Trump over his push to reopen schools in the fall amid surging coronavirus cases across much of the U.S.  

“Other countries followed guidance, he ignored science,” its narrator says, adding that Trump is pushing to reopen schools in a “desperate” attempt to “save his reelection.” 

“Do you trust him to do what’s best for our children? Because this is not a test. Trump is failing,” the narrator says. 

The ad ends with audio of Trump boasting about having “aced” a cognitive test. He’s recently bragged in multiple interviews about his performance on a cognitive test that is typically used to detect dementia. 

A DNC aide told CNN the ad will run on cable channels across battleground states as part of a six-figure buy and marks the start of a two-week campaign that will target Trump’s position on reopening schools. 

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden rolled out his plan to safely reopen schools earlier this month. 

His plan states that in order for schools to reopen, the virus must be under control in the U.S. Biden’s plan also calls for national safety guidelines that states and localities can follow during the reopening process. 

Biden also said emergency funding would be provided to public schools and child care providers if he’s elected. 

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign was not immediately available for comment.