Kamala Harris outspends Trump 10-to-1 in digital ad blitz

Vice President Kamala Harris has vastly outspent former President Donald Trump on digital advertising, investing 10 times more than her rival, who is relying more on traditional media outlets, according to Report, which cites the Financial Times (FT).

Since July 21, when President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Harris has spent a staggering $57 million on digital ads, while Trump, who is "saving money," has only spent $5.6 million. In contrast, during the same period in his 2020 campaign, Trump had already spent $91 million on digital advertising. Throughout his "failed 2020 campaign," Trump spent a total of $275 million on Facebook (banned in Russia; owned by Meta, recognized as extremist in Russia) and Google ads.

Experts emphasize the importance of digital ad appeals for fundraising, with the majority of Harris's ads containing requests for donations. Unsurprisingly, Trump's reduced spending on digital ads coincides with a decline in the proportion of funds he receives from small donations (less than $200), dropping from 61% in 2020 to 40% in 2024.

Despite the focus on digital advertising, Harris's campaign is still dominated by spending on TV and radio ads. Including funds pledged when Biden was the Democratic Party candidate, Harris's campaign has already allocated $286 million for such advertising, while Trump's campaign has allocated $187 million.

Currently, Trump holds a 1 percentage point lead over Harris in voter support, according to a Fox News poll conducted August 9-12 with over 1,000 respondents. 50% of voters are ready to vote for the former president, while 49% support Harris.