Harris campaign launches ad with Obama mocking Trump over crowd sizes ahead of the debate

Debate day is finally upon us. And judging by how the news cycle is playing out so far, it's going to be a doozy. Hours before the highly anticipated showdown between vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, Democrats have launched a new ad mocking the GOP candidate for his focus on crowd sizes.

The ad, simply titled "Crowd Size," features a segment from former President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, where he referred to Trump as a "78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems" before adding that "there's the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes", accompanying that last quip with a suggestive movement of his hands that was widely scene as a jab to mock Trump's manhood.

The ad goes on to contrast footage of small crowd sizes at Trump rallies with shots of crowded, raucous crowds at Harris' rallies. It also includes footage of Trump at a rally where he derisively comments on the size of the crowds at Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign events.

The ads will be broadcast not only on major national networks, including Fox News, but also in key locations such as West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump resides.

Michael Tyler, the communications director for the Harris campaign, commented on the ad through a statement reported by The Hill:

"Trump spends a lot of time concerned about his crowd sizes, but the American people are far more concerned about which candidate will make their lives better – and it's not the guy running on the Project 2025 agenda."

Tyler also commented on the importance of Tuesday's debate:

"Tonight's debate will present the stark choice Americans will face at the ballot box: between Vice President Harris who is fighting for the people to make our lives better, and the guy who can't seem to stop obsessing about himself and the size of his crowds."

The ad is part of a broader strategy by the Harris campaign to challenge Trump's rhetoric and draw attention to the enthusiastic support Harris has garnered since entering the race. It's also a sign of how Democrats are trying to get under the former president's skin. In a recent piece by The Hill, Republican strategist Susan Del Percio suggested that Democrats have found an easy pipeline to undermine him, playing on his obsession with the media:

"He's easy to irk. These are little digs. They're not Trump-like attacks. But he can't take a joke."