The Democratic National Committee is launching a hard-hitting cable ad buy focused on the spread of coronavirus and Donald Trump’s dangerous push to reopen schools. A DNC aide told CNN there was a six-figure cable buy focusing on battleground states.
Trump has pushed hard to reopen schools, clearly seeing it as a political winner in the early days of summer before coronavirus spiked in many states. And once Trump has decided something is a winner, he notoriously doesn’t back down. COVID-19 rates have changed dramatically, though, and with them, public opinion. Polls show growing fear of school reopenings, and parents' groups, education advocates, and teachers unions are demanding that any reopening plans listen to the science and emphasize safety, with a national day of resistance planned for August 3.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has called for more than $30 billion in added school funding as part of his roadmap for reopening schools safely. Meanwhile, Trump has said he’d be “comfortable” with his son Barron going back to school in person—except that Barron's well-funded private school won’t be doing full in-person reopening, even though it has facilities and small class sizes that most public schools can’t even dream of.
Once again, Trump is pushing for a coronavirus disaster, and refusing to back down. And once again, most U.S. voters are unwilling to risk their own health and that of their families and communities just to go along with Trump’s vision of the world.
Narrator: This is not a test.
Trump: We have it totally under control. It’s one person.
Narrator: He promised it would disappear.
Trump: It goes away in April, with the heat.
News voice: More dead than from the 9/11 terror attacks.
Narrator: Unprepared and making it up.
Trump: Ultraviolet … supposing you brought the light inside the body.
Narrator: Other countries followed guidance. He ignored science.
Trump, yelling: Slow the testing down.
News voice: Most new cases in a single day.
News voice: Four million cases
Narrator: Desperate to reopen schools because he thinks it will save his reelection.
Trump: We have to open the schools.
News voice: Critical shortage of PPE.
Narrator: Threatening their funding
Trump: When they don’t open their schools, we’re not going to fund them.
Narrator: Ignoring how the virus spreads, risking teachers' and parents' lives, going against the advice of experts.
Trump: It’s had very little impact on young people.
Narrator: Do you trust him to do what's best for our children? Because this is not a test. Trump is failing.
Trump: I aced it. I aced the test.
