Trump wants the midterms to be all about him. Based on Democrats' ads, they are happy to oblige

Democrats are making President Donald Trump the centerpiece of their midterm advertising, while Republicans mostly avoid mentioning him. An Associated Press analysis of AdImpact data finds Democratic candidates and allies have put more than $163 million into television spots that name the president since Sept. 1, with nearly 180,000 airings. Republican ads referencing him ran about 16,000 times, at an estimated $11 million, according to PBS NewsHour.

Many Democratic spots portray GOP opponents as backing Trump over ordinary voters, citing tariffs and the Iran war as drivers of higher costs. Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff has spent nearly $3 million on one such ad targeting Rep. Mike Collins. In Pennsylvania, every Democratic ad in the 1st Congressional District mentions Trump, even though Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick voted against the tariffs. House Majority PAC spokesperson Katarina Flicker says polls and focus groups show affordability is voters' top concern.

Trump ranked fourth among Democratic ad themes and 33rd among Republican ones, where taxes and crime dominate. Republican strategist Alex Conant says Democrats want to turn the vote into a referendum on the president. Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre dismissed the strategy as evidence Democrats lack an agenda.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →