A Republican-linked super PAC is running digital ads in Michigan promoting Kamala Harris’ husband’s Judaism and touting her support for Israel, a cynical ploy to undermine her in the battleground state, home to a large Arab American population, amid the ongoing political fallout over the Gaza war.
According to Google’s Ad Transparency Center, the super PAC Future Coalition PAC spent about $60,000 to run multiple YouTube ads targeted solely at Michigan. Each ad highlights Harris’ support for Israel, and many of them specifically highlight her husband, Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish. The ads were first reported by The New York Times.
One of the group’s ads focuses on the role of Harris’ husband, Emhoff, and includes photos of Emhoff wearing a Yamakasa hat and a second gentleman visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp.
“Kamala Harris is a strong leader in these challenging times, and joining her is her husband and top advisor, Doug Emhoff, who will be the first Jewish presidential spouse in history. Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff are making history, standing up for justice and supporting Israel.”
Another ad begins: “Vice President Harris has chosen a side, the right side. Ms. Harris has made it clear that she will stand with Israel and the Jewish people. She has done so many times. She understands the inseparable bond between the United States and Israel.”
With its positive framing and inspiring music, the ad appears to be an endorsement of Harris’ presidential bid, but its precise targeting of the group behind it and the battleground state of Michigan suggests a more cynical motive.
The Future Coalition PAC, which formed earlier this month, has not reported donors or fundraising details to the Federal Election Commission, but the group’s other filings list ties to the Republican Party. It lists Cabell Hobbs, who served as treasurer of a super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential bid, as its assistant treasurer.
Moreover, the ad is only running in Michigan, one of the seven battleground states that will determine the outcome of the 2024 election and home to a large Arab-American population. The ad appears aimed at stoking divisions arising from the ongoing war in Gaza and undermining Harris’ efforts to repair the Democratic Party’s frayed coalition, including Gaza voters.
