Embattled US President Joe Biden's campaign released a new advertisement on Thursday, hitting out at his rival and former president Donald Trump for "siding with Putin," and calling him a "lap dog for a dictator." The advertisement - released to coincide with the last day of this week's high-profile NATO summit here - is part of a larger USD 50 million paid media buy for July, ahead of the November 5 presidential election.
The ad also comes as Biden, 81, faces a huge task to reassure fellow Democrats and voters about his fitness for office following a disastrous debate performance against 78-year-old Trump.
The advertisement slams Trump for suggesting Russia "do whatever the hell they want" to NATO members who do not meet defence spending targets, warning that the Republican Party's presumptive candidate is "a lapdog for a dictator who blames 'America first.'" "Donald Trump is an unhinged wannabe dictator. If he's reelected, he'll be Vladimir Putin's lap dog, giving him the green light to steamroll Europe and potentially spark World War III," CNN quoted Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt as saying on Thursday.
"Democracy and American security are on the ballot this November, and President Biden is the only candidate in this race committed to protecting and promoting it at home and abroad," it said.
Congressional Democrats are worried about Biden's chances to win reelection, particularly in the wake of his disastrous debate on CNN last month, and that having him at the top of the ticket could also hurt the party in the election.
Most Democrats have been reluctant to publicly call on Biden to step aside, but a growing number are saying so out loud, even after Biden has gone on the offensive this week to shore up support for a second term in the White House.
Biden wrote to congressional Democrats on Monday that he will continue his reelection bid despite mounting concerns.
Meanwhile, Biden is scheduled to hold a closely watched news conference on Thursday at the end of the Nato summit, marking another high-stakes moment for him to show off his skill in answering questions in an unscripted setting.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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