Trump campaign spends thousands on pointless ad airing around Mar-a-Lago to keep ex-president happy

Palm Beach County is a Democratic area of Florida

Donald Trump’s campaign is reportedly spending tens of thousands of dollars to air ads in the Palm Beach, Florida area (Getty Images)

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is reportedly planning to air advertisements in the Palm Beach area where the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence lies – despite the area being historically Democratic in a Republican state.

The cable news ads, set to run this week, are not for strategy purposes but to keep Trump and donors happy, according to reporting from The Bulwark.

A campaign insider told the political newsletter that the Trump campaign spent roughly $48,000 to air 15-second-long ads on CNN, CNBC, Fox News and Fox Business. They said that was mostly to appeal to wealthy donors in the area.

“This is more about keeping the donors happy than the principal. There’s a lot of donors in Palm Beach,” the unnamed campaign insider said.

Palm Beach County is a historically Democratic area of Florida. In 2020, roughly 55 percent of residents voted for President Joe Biden. But given Florida is a safe Republican state, Trump doesn’t have to worry too much about underperforming in the county where he resides.

Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida (AP)

But the ads also keep the former president satisfied since he and his friends in Mar-a-Lago can see the ads.

“If it makes the boss happy, too, then good,” the campaign insider added.

It’s unclear what the content of the ads is.

The former president has been in a sour mood lately posting frequently about Vice President Kamala Harris on Truth Social and going on angry rants during rallies and speeches. It’s a tangible deviation from Trump’s more lighthearted, less aggressive mood from earlier this summer.

Roughly one month ago when President Joe Biden was still the presumptive Democratic nominee, Trump was enjoying a boost in the polls thanks to Biden’s disastrous debate performance.

But since Vice President Kamala Harris has replaced Biden, polling numbers are neck-and-neck with Harris leading in some national polls. Trump has angrily refused to concede that Harris is polling well or appealing to voters.

It’s unclear what the content of the ads is but with more than $300m cash on hand, as of July, spending $47k on ads is hardly impactful.

The Trump campaign made a similar move during the 2020 election when they spent $400,000 to air cable news ads in Washington D.C., a Democratic stronghold, so Trump and his allies would see them.