President Trump said Tuesday his campaign has been forced to spend money to counter “false reporting” of his response to the coronavirus pandemic, pushing back on a report that the campaign squandered some of its $1 billion-plus war chest on dubious advertising.
“My Campaign spent a lot of money up front in order to compensate for the false reporting and Fake News concerning our handling of the China Virus,” the president tweeted. “Now they see the GREAT job we have done, and we have 3 times more than we had 4 years ago – & are up in polls. Lots of $’s & ENERGY!”
He was apparently referring to a New York Times report, citing current and former campaign officials who questioned the campaign spending about $11 million on advertising during the Super Bowl and on ads in the heavily Democratic TV market of Washington, D.C.
The article said the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have lost their $200 million cash advantage over Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden heading into the final two months of the race.
The president on Tuesday is visiting the battleground states of Florida and North Carolina, where Mr. Biden holds razor-thin leads in the Real Clear Politics averaging of polls. Trump campaign advisers view both states, which the president won in 2016, as crucial to his reelection.
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