Biden re-elect team plans ad blitz tied to Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee

President Joe Biden's re-election campaign is planning to use next week's first Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee to launch a sweeping paid media blitz painting Republicans as extreme and tying the GOP presidential hopefuls to Donald Trump, despite doubts over whether the former president will be on stage himself.

Biden and the Democratic National Committee will post billboards around the city and have a billboard truck circling Fiserv Forum as candidates take the stage next Wednesday in an attempt to contrast "the MAGA agenda with Biden’s record of accomplishments," according to a campaign official, referencing Trump's Make America Great Again slogan.

The effort is part of the campaign's plans to use the debate as "a high impact press and organizing opportunity," the official said. Starting with the Wednesday evening debate, the campaign will launch its third major paid media buy of the election cycle, specifically targeting Black and Latino voters. It is not clear how much the media blitz costs.

"Next week’s Republican debate will put on display just how extreme and out of touch the Republican candidates are with the American people," said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden's campaign manager. "That’s why we’re using the debate as an opportunity to activate and energize our supporters, as well as expand support for the Biden-Harris ticket and our agenda for the middle class and protecting Americans' freedoms."

Biden's campaign announced the plans Thursday, just two days after the president visited a clean energy manufacturing plant in Milwaukee to tout "Bidenomics" and legislation passed last Congress that invests in green energy, infrastructure and domestic manufacturing. He made no mention of the debate during his Tuesday remarks but did attempt to contrast his agenda and accomplishments with his predecessor, who is currently the clear Republican frontrunner.

It remains unclear whether Trump will attend the debate, though he has hinted he won't make an appearance and risk opening himself up to direct criticism. Last week, Trump said he wouldn't sign a pledge to support the GOP nominee if he loses the presidential primary — a requirement put forward by debate organizers to participate.

The Republican debate and planned response from Democrats once again underscores the importance of Wisconsin in the 2024 race. The perennial swing state is among the few listed by election handicappers as a "toss-up" next year, and any candidate who hopes to win the White House will need to make inroads in Wisconsin.

More: The indispensable state: Why Wisconsin could again be the electoral 'tipping point' in 2024

Republicans on Thursday responded to Biden's announcement by saying the GOP will be "showcasing fantastic alternatives to the disastrous Biden agenda."

"Wisconsin voters have no desire to hear more distortions about so-called Bidenomics," Republican Party of Wisconsin communications director Rachel Reisner said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "No amount of advertising will fool Milwaukee into believing they are better off under Biden."

In addition to the billboards in Milwaukee, Democratic officials will be on the ground in the state to meet with local leaders and voters, and Biden campaign members will host in-person press conferences "pre-butting the debate," according to the campaign.

The Biden campaign is expected to be active on local and national airwaves. And the DNC "will be engaging hundreds of thousands of volunteers to lift up relevant GOP contrast content during the debate, with an emphasis on supporters in battleground states," the campaign said.

In Wisconsin, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison plans to hold events ahead of the debate focused on engaging with Black voters, including events for women voters in Waukesha and young voters in Madison. More information on those events was not provided.

"Next week, the American people will be introduced to the most extreme slate of presidential candidates in history," Harrison said in a statement Thursday. "Candidates will take to the stage to out-MAGA each other, and we will ensure that every American knows that."

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Biden re-elect team plans ad blitz tied to GOP debate in Milwaukee