President Donald Trump’s campaign paused their ads back in July to review their messaging and restrategize their campaign. However, the newest ad released for the campaign, against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, features multiple doctored images.
What We Know:
- The Trump campaign released an ad on social media on Wednesday that contains multiple doctored photos of Biden in an attempt to convince viewers that he is alone and hiding out. The caption for the advertisement repeats the narrator’s words in the video, “Deep in the heart of Delaware, Joe Biden sits in his basement. Alone. Hiding. Diminished.”
- The first doctored image features Biden sitting on the ground while the narrator reiterates the above message. But the photograph, which is supposed to depict Biden sitting alone in his basement, was actually taken in December of 2019 in Iowa when Biden visited the home of Coralville Mayor John Lundell. Additionally, the people in the background of the photograph were edited out.
- The image, used without permission, was taken by Photo Editor Liz Martin of The Gazette at the event in which Martin shares that at least three dozen supporters and journalists were present, and Biden was sitting on the floor because he had given someone else his seat.
- Shortly after this first doctored image, the video cuts to an image of Biden holding his hands to his forehead, in what seems to be a look of despair. CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski was the first to call attention to the photograph, saying it appeared to actually be a picture of Biden speaking, but the microphone in his hands was edited out. The original photo was taken by photographer Mark Peterson for Redux Pictures at a town hall meeting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in September, which Biden spoke at.
Also, it looks like someone photoshopped out a microphone he was holding at an event to make it look like he was…..touching his forehead in an empty room?https://t.co/CgMoUz9Gp9 pic.twitter.com/wJDTHpQyWJ
— andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) August 5, 2020
- The ad goes on to narrate that “Biden has no answers and after five decades of failure, he never will.” The quote is accompanied by an image of Biden hanging his head, however, that picture is of Biden in prayer during a church service in Wilmington, Delaware in June in which Biden met with Black leaders for an in-person discussion following the death of George Floyd.
- The full ad can be viewed here.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment on the latest advertisement.
