Politics
Inside the "To Catch a Predator" Midterm Ad Wars
Axios · 5 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Axios
AI SUMMARY
Candidates and political groups across the U.S. are spending tens of millions on midterm TV ads featuring explosive accusations of child sexual abuse and political protection.
- Republicans and Democrats are flooding midterm airwaves with TV ads accusing opponents of protecting pedophiles and child sexual abusers.
- Since Sept. 1, candidates and outside groups have aired at least $70 million in TV ads mentioning pedophilia, Epstein, and child sexual abuse allegations, according to AdImpact.
- Of 118 identified ads, 63 were sponsored by Democrats, 52 by Republicans, and three by independents.
- In Kansas, Democrats aired three ads attacking Republican Sen. Roger Marshall over his vote against forcing the Justice Department to release additional Epstein files.
- The conservative Club for Growth aired an ad in Kansas accusing Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton of mishandling 2005 sexual abuse allegations at a church camp.
- Private GOP polling in Kansas showed 69% of surveyed voters were less likely to support Hamilton after hearing allegations about the church camp incident.
- In Texas, Democrats backing Senate candidate James Talarico spent over $8 million attacking Attorney General Ken Paxton over a plea deal offering minimal jail time to a child abuser.
- Paxton stated he agreed to the plea deal to spare a child abuse victim from testifying twice.
- In North Carolina, Democrats aired four ads accusing Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley of appointing a convicted sex offender to a state GOP committee, which Whatley denied.
- Republican pollsters note that allegations involving children are visceral and capitalize on a broader collapse of trust in institutions reinforced by the Epstein scandal.
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