The news: The Kamala Harris campaign has spent 20 times as much as the Trump campaign on Meta platforms, The New York Times reports. The spending gap marks a significant shift in how the former president, who spent heavily on social media ads in 2016 and 2020, is approaching this year’s advertising.
- Harris spent $12.2 million on Facebook and Instagram in the week surrounding the most recent presidential debate, versus just $611,228 from Trump. Harris is outspending on Google ads (including YouTube) as well, devoting $25.7 million to battleground states versus Trump’s $12.8 million.
- Strapped for cash due to ongoing litigation, the Trump campaign has opted to reach digital audiences by joining with popular YouTube and Twitch creators.