The Trump campaign unleashes a barrage of negative advertisements

Mr Trump left the Republican National Convention in July a clear front-runner against Joe Biden. The emergence of Kamala Harris—a fresh face, virtually always on-message—reset the contest. Mr Trump initially appeared off when grappling with his new opponent, but as the campaign reaches its final phase, his advisers and allies have established a clear strategy. They are betting heavily on attack ads that paint Ms Harris as an out-of-touch leftist who is soft on crime and immigration. One goal is to persuade voters that Ms Harris—who wants the election to be a referendum on her rival—should be held accountable as the number two official in a “weak and pathetic administration”.