Ad watch: Sounding (slightly) Trumpy

Chuck Schumer's most endangered Democratic Senate candidates are meeting Trump halfway on two big issues he's riding hard: inflation and immigration.

Why it matters: They aren't calling to build the wall or blaming Biden-Harris for skyrocketing prices, but in their paid ads, they agree with Trump's basic diagnosis of the country's ailments.

• The ads are a clear indication that Democrats are worried those issues pose a serious risk to Schumer's majority.

State of play: When candidates put big money behind a TV ad, it tends to reflect either a strength or a weakness.

• Nearly every Democratic campaign has an ad that touts their support for reproductive rights or draws attention to their opponent's position, according to a review of AdImpact's database.
• Most of them also feel compelled to offer their own answer on inflation and immigration.

What they're saying: "Filling your refrigerator shouldn't be emptying your bank account," Alsobrooks says in one ad.

• "We need someone who cares, who fights for all of us, because costs are up," acknowledges Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) in a seven-figure ad buy that has been running this week in his campaign to defeat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
• "It's high time to lower housing costs so we can continue to raise our families here," Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) tells the camera in one of his ads.

Between the lines: A similar dynamic is in play with immigration. Democrats aren't echoing Trump's claims that the country is being overrun by migrants, but they acknowledge that a porous border is a problem.

• "Sherrod Brown voted for the most conservative immigration bill in decades to deport violent criminals," says an ad being run on the Ohio senator's behalf by a Democratic Super PAC.

— Hans Nichols