Biden courts Latino voters with ad blitz during Copa América soccer tournament

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s campaign is drawing up a new play to reach Latino voters in key battleground states during the Copa América soccer tournament, which starts in the U.S. on Thursday.

The campaign is aiming to reach the millions of viewers expected to tune in through a seven-figure ad blitz and organizing effort, a Biden campaign official said.

The re-election team hopes that — with international sensations like Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior starring in the tournament — it can score with a diverse and hyperengaged audience that may not be that dialed into politics or the 2024 race, the official said.

A 30-second spot — titled “Gooaalll!” — will air in swing states that are hosting matches over the next month, like Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, according to the campaign. The ads will run in both English and Spanish, the campaign said.

“Four years ago, we were shut down. Stadiums were empty. Trump failed us,” the narrator says, showing huge sporting arenas with vacant rows in a jab at former President Donald Trump’s leadership during the Covid pandemic.

“But then Joe Biden took over. He reopened the country and got us back on track,” the ad goes on to say, touting job creation during the Biden administration and highlighting efforts to try to make communities safer from gun violence.

“Trump talks and talks. Joe Biden gets s--- done,” it ends, with a superimposed red card over Trump’s face and the expletive bleeped out. The commercial is set to air on radio and digital platforms in battlegrounds, as well.

“Our campaign knows the power of showing up to earn the Latino vote, and today’s historic announcement to organize and mobilize around Copa América is a