Dems worry as Trump unleashes money on 2020 digital ads

WASHINGTON (AP) — While Democrats wage a wide open primary , President Donald Trump is blanketing battleground states with online advertising that could help set the narrative heading into the 2020 campaign.

The blitz of ads run recently in states including Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania alarms some Democrats. They're worried by the more than $10 million Trump and his allies have already spent on digital advertising, a drop compared with the $1 billion his campaign could spend by Election Day.

For now, the ads are going largely unanswered as Democrats focus on their primary that's just getting into full swing. But Trump's early head start combined with his massive fundraising operation has stirred concern that it could be difficult for the eventual nominee to catch up.

"The real concern here is that Trump is able to have unchallenged positions when it comes to issues that a lot of voters care about," said Tara McGowan, the founder and CEO of ACRONYM, a progressive group that specializes in digital campaigns. "We are going to see outside [Democratic] groups start to spend with offensive and defensive messages, but I worry that it's still not going to be enough to compete with the infrastructure the right has."

Many of the ads are chock full of conservative red meat, focused on building a border wall with Mexico, vilifying Democrats' investigation of Trump's 2016 campaign as a "witch hunt" and attacking the news media. A recent series that could resonate in manufacturing states portrays Trump as tough on China by declaring that the "days of cowering down to China are over."

Others appear aimed at softening his image, especially on issues related to race. The ads are unlikely to persuade African Americans to support Trump by large margins but could ease concern among moderate and suburban voters the president will need to win reelection – many of whom voted for Democrats during last year's midterms.

One battleground ad, viewed as many as 1 million times, shows footage of a White House event commemorating Trump's signature of a criminal justice overhaul. The president grins as Gregory Allen, an African-American former prisoner who was released under the law, praises him for "continuing to make America great again."

In another, a middle-aged black actor plays "Howard from New Mexico," who thanks Trump for restoring his faith in the country. And in a third, a multiracial collage of people are all seen liking a social media post by "Melissa from Florida," who tells Trump that he makes her proud to be an American.

Trump's campaign denies they are trying to soften his image.