Exclusive: Harris targets undecided Latino voters in ad hitting Trump on Jan. 6
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A screenshot of former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who was injured defending the Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, in the new Harris campaign ad. Screenshot: Harris campaign
Vice President Kamala Harris hopes her new ad targeting former President Trump will help net undecided Latino voters as it spotlights former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who was injured defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Why it matters: A record 36.2 million U.S. Latinos are eligible to vote this year, and many live in key swing states, making them a crucial part of the electorate.
- Gonnell, who was injured in the attack, says in ads in both Spanish and English that the Republican presidential candidate insults "those of us who defended the Capitol" by calling the rioters "warriors."
- Harris campaign internal polling indicates that emphasizing the events of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot is one of the most persuadable messages to Latino voters as a reason for them to vote for Harris.
State of play: With days left before the election, polls show Harris has a significant lead among Latino voters, though it's unclear whether she has the level of support she needs to win.
- Both campaigns have invested heavily in reaching Latinos over the past few weeks, especially in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada — three of the seven states that will likely decide the election.
Driving the news: Gonnell, who gave congressional testimony about defending the U.S. Capitol from the rioting mob on Jan. 6, is the only person to appear in the new Harris ad that's titled "Real Heroes."
- It will air across the swing states in markets that reach Latino voters, with a focus on events and networks that are likely to get large amounts of viewers. These include during Major League Baseball World Series coverage, soccer matches, Fox Deportes, Univision and Telemundo.
Zoom in: Gonnell, who left the police after being left with injuries that continued to hinder his daily life for over a year after the attack, says in the ad that he took the oath to defend U.S. democracy seriously but Trump does not.
- "I defended the Capitol on January 6th. But now we all must defend democracy with our vote," adds the Army veteran, who served in Iraq.
Zoom out: Trump has increasingly sought to downplay the Jan. 6 insurrection that injured some 140 police officers.
- He said at the Economic Club of Chicago last week that there was a "peaceful transfer of power" after the 2020 election and spoke of "love and peace" on Jan. 6, adding: "Some people went to the Capitol and a lot of strange things happened there."
- At the Univision Noticias town hall a day later, Trump referred to the Capitol riot as "a day of love," words he echoed during an interview on Fox News' "MediaBuzz," which aired Sunday.
- Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told NBC News after Gonnell and others objected to the former president's "day of love" remarks: "President Trump has been totally consistent — a record number of patriots showed up to witness his historic speech at the Ellipse and it was all love."
- Harris' campaign aims to remind Latino voters of Trump's repeated rhetoric surrounding the events of Jan. 6 with its new ad.
The bottom line: Harris and Trump have days to convince a small share of Latinos, who are typically ignored by candidates until close to the election, to vote for them.
Go deeper: Trump doubles down on Jan. 6 defense and "enemy from within" comments
