Harris campaign mocks Trump for crowd size obsession with debate day attack ad featuring Obama

The Harris campaign team mocks Donald Trump for his “obsession” with crowd size in an attack ad on the day of the debate with Barack Obama.

The campaign released its latest ad, titled “Crowd Size,” on debate day to rile up the Republican presidential candidate before the two face off in Philadelphia tonight.

The ad rehashed memorable lines from Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, accusing Trump of “whining about his problems” and mocking his “obsession” with crowd size.

“He's a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn't stopped whining about his problems,” Obama says. Then the ad cuts to a clip of Trump saying, “Oh, she had a big crowd.”

“This weird obsession with crowd size. It never ends,” Obama says, before the commercial – accompanied by the chirping of crickets – cuts to Trump's rallies, where there appear to be very few people in the crowd. In the background, one of his supporters can be seen yawning.

The scenes, which were specially selected for the campaign spot, are juxtaposed with the huge crowds at the DNC. “America is ready for a new chapter. We are ready for President Kamala Harris,” Obama says at the end.

Michael Tyler, communications director for Harris-Walz, said: “Trump spends a lot of time worrying about the size of his support base, but the American people are much more interested in which candidate is going to make their lives better – and that's not the guy running with the Project 2025 agenda.”

He added: “Tonight's debate will remind Americans of the stark choice they face at the ballot box: between Vice President Harris, who fights for the people to make our lives better, and the man who can't seem to stop obsessing about himself and the greatness of his supporters.”

Trump – who has used Obama's middle name in the past to falsely imply that he is a Muslim – complained that the Obamas' attacks on him at the DNC were “too personal.”

“He took aim at your president, and Michelle did too,” Trump said. “You know, they always say, 'Sir, please stick to politics, don't get personal,' but these people get personal all night long.”

The ad will air nationwide on cable television, including Fox News, as well as in media hubs such as West Palm Beach – home to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club – and Philadelphia as part of a $370 million campaign media push.

Just yesterday, the campaign released another video with clips from former Trump administration employees who sharply attacked the ex-president and warned of the dangers he could pose if he were re-elected in November.

Former senior officials featured in the aggressive ad include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, National Security Advisor John Bolton and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2023, Gen. Mark Milley.