Biden campaign targets Trump over ‘neglect of duty’ on eve of CNN Presidential Debate

EXCLUSIVE – President Biden’s re-election campaign is taking aim at former President Trump over his actions during the attack three and a half years ago on the U.S. Capitol, as they launch a new ad on the eve of the first presidential debate.

The spot, shared first with Fox News on Wednesday, features Genesee County, MIchigan, Sheriff Chris Swanson discussing how he watched in horror as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and attacked Capitol police officers on Jan. 6, 2021 as they aimed to disrupt congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump.

The ad includes a clip of Trump at a rally with supporters near the White House ahead of the attack on the Capitol, saying “fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

Swanson, in the ad, says “it should have been stopped. That’s neglect of duty.”

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“As a sheriff, it’s awful to watch police officers getting attacked. That’s not supporting this badge and this uniform. I have no desire to work with somebody who divides. That’s not what America is,” Swanson emphasizes.

Swanson, who has joined several Capitol police officers in pillorying Trump over his actions on Jan. 6, 2021 and travels the country campaigning for Biden, says “I’ll work with anybody who unites. That’s why I’m with President Joe Biden.”

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The Biden campaign said the spot is the latest in their massive $50 million ad blitz running this month in the key battleground states that will likely decide the winner of the 2024 presidential election rematch.

The commercial is part of the Biden campaign’s push to hammer the presumptive GOP presidential nominee over what they call “Donald Trump’s Attack on American Democracy.”

Then-President Trump arrives to speak at a rally near the White House, on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

A release from the Biden campaign said the ad and a news conference they will hold later on Wednesday underscore what they claim is “the stark contrast between Donald Trump’s campaign of revenge and retribution and President Biden’s respect for democracy and law and order.”

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Biden has long made what he charges is Trump’s threats to democracy a key focus of his presidency, and he has hammered home the point as he runs for a second term in the White House. It is very likely Biden will spotlight the issue in Thursday’s first presidential debate between the two major party standard-bearers.

The future of American democracy, at 68%, edged out the economy by two points as the most important issue among registered voters in deciding the presidency, according to the latest Fox News national poll.

President Biden, left, and former President Trump. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson | Evan Vucci)

While voters trusted Trump by five points over Biden on handling the economy, the poll indicated voters by a six-point margin said the president would do a better job than his Republican predecessor at protecting democracy.

As early as this week, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether Trump has immunity from criminal charges he faces over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. In a separate case, the justices are also expected to release an opinion on whether Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol can be prosecuted for obstructing an official proceeding.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.