Republicans are leaning into immigration enforcement as one of their top campaign issues this midterm cycle — despite a rocky start to the year for messaging on the president's top policy.An NPR analysis of advertisement data from the firm AdImpact shows that when it comes to immigration, Republicans are spending more money and running more ads than Democrats are.The data set includes ads purchased from January through June, before immigration enforcement officers shot and killed people in Maine and Texas this month.These political ads offer one indication of where each party sees its momentum going with voters, as candidates across the country gear up for the general election in November.
The data suggests Republicans see immigration as a winning issue: Since the start of the year, Republicans and their supporting organizations have run nearly 300 ads nationwide that either include a mention of immigration or are solely about immigration.This compares to 62 ads from Democrats and their supporting organizations."Republicans stood up for Americans.
Democrats sat down for illegals.Thomas Massie sides with these radical-left lunatics," reads one ad funded by the MAGA KY PAC, a political action committee that was set up to defeat Republican Rep.
Thomas Massie in the primary.The ad cost over $831,000; Massie, a frequent critic of President Trump, went on to lose his race to Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Gallrein.Among the most expensive was a $928,000 ad buy in the Michigan governor's race."No greater example of waste, fraud, and abuse in Michigan than using our tax dollars to give benefits to illegal immigrants.
As governor, I'll be incredibly supportive of ICE coming here and removing these fraudsters," says Republican candidate Perry Johnson, who calls himself a "MAGA Conservative" and has pitched his business approach to running a state.Immigration was a winning issue for Republicans in the 2024 elections, with themes like increasing border security and reducing ...