Vulnerable incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey turned heads Friday with a new campaign ad in Pennsylvania highlighting how he “opposed Biden” and “sided” with former President Trump.
In a TV ad released Friday morning, a couple with different political views praise Casey as an “independent,” noting his support for Trump’s trade policies and his efforts to “protect fracking” from the Biden administration. The advertisement, called “bliss” features a Republican woman named Marygrace and her Democrat husband, Joe.
“Our marriage is pure bliss. But we just don’t see eye to eye on politics. Except Bob Casey. He’s independent,” Marygrace says, as her husband chimes in: “That’s it!”
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“Casey is leading the effort to stop corporate greed and price gouging,” Marygrace continues. “Casey opposed Biden to protect fracking and sided with Trump to end NAFTA and impose tariffs on China to prevent them from cheating. So in this house, we agree, it is Bob Casey who is doing what right in Pennsylvania.”
Casey himself appears at the end of the 30-second video and says, “I’m Bob Casey and I definitely approve of this message.”
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Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) addresses supporters before former President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally for statewide Democratic candidates on September 21, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)
Fox News’ Power Rankings rates Pennsylvania Senate races as “Leans Dem.” Casey, the son of a popular former governor, is running for a fourth six-year term. His Republican rival is Dave McCormick, a war veteran and businessman.
Public opinion polls have shown Casey holding a steady but narrow lead over McCormick. However, Republicans were quick to suggest that Casey, by highlighting his work with Trump, is telegraphing unease as Election Day approaches.
Elizabeth Gregory, McCormick’s spokeswoman, said the announcement was “another sign of desperation by career politician Bob Casey.”
Republican critics also drew attention to how the ad curiously omits mention of Casey’s support for Democratic vice president candidate Kamala Harris. The senator did not appear with Harris at her most recent rallies in Erie and Washington Crossing.
Republican state Rep. Russ Diamond said Casey is now “running ads flirting with Trump.”
“He knows Kamala is going to lose,” Diamond posted on Facebook.
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Dave McCormick, Republican candidate for the United States Senate from Pennsylvania, speaks at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate, former United States President Donald Trump, at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The Trump campaign’s rapid-response account of X accused Casey of “desperately trying to hug President Trump” after voting to impeach the former president twice.
The Trump War Room account also resurfaced in a March ad by Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s campaign, in which the incumbent Democrat featured Trump in the ad signing her “Made in America” bill. Baldwin is in a tight race against Republican challenger Eric Hovde.
“These are liberal Democrats who have opposed Donald Trump every step of the way for years, voting with Chuck Schumer all the way, but in the face of their own defeats, they have suddenly publicly embraced Trump in their own television ads,” said Trump’s campaign manager. advisor Tim Murtaugh told Fox News Digital. “Not only does this mean Trump is winning the battle of ideas, it also means they know he’s winning their states.”
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“This is undeniable, irrefutable proof that Trump is winning in these key battlegrounds, and those knocks you hear are Kamala Harris being thrown under the bus by incumbent Democrats, who used to be her colleagues in the Senate. The side Harris must be beside himself. “Furious about being rejected and abandoned like this, but that’s what happens when you’re stuck with the worst candidate in modern political history.”
Kate Smart, a spokeswoman for Casey’s campaign, said the senator is “doing what’s right for Pennsylvania, regardless of party.”
“Whether it’s taking on China or fighting corporate greed, he stands with Pennsylvanians and doesn’t care what any politician has to say about it.”
Get the latest updates from the 2024 election campaign, exclusive interviews and more in our Fox News Digital Election Center.
