U.S. Senate candidates’ use of negative ads becomes flashpoint after Trump assassination attempt

In the immediate aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, candidates and campaigns are weighing the best path forward for messaging and civil discourse during a divided political era. 

In the U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican nominee Dave McCormick, the two sides seem to be at odds over their decision to put negative ads on hold – even as such ads remained online and on the air Monday. 

McCormick, who said he was nearly on stage next to Trump before gunshots began to go off, spoke at Saturday’s event in Butler earlier in the day, appeared on CNBC Monday morning and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call for a suspension of negative advertising between the two campaigns.

In light of the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, I agree with President Biden and propose to Senator @Bob_Casey we both suspend our negative advertising.

This is a time to come together as Americans to recognize that what makes our country and its people…

— Dave McCormick (@DaveMcCormickPA) July 15, 2024

Casey’s campaign had directed television stations to hold running campaign advertisements temporarily on Saturday, soon after the assassination attempt occurred, but two ads appeared to air on local news broadcasts Monday. 

“On Saturday evening after the shooting, the Casey campaign worked with stations to stop advertising temporarily,” Maddy McDaniel, spokesperson for Bob Casey for Senate, said in a statement. “The campaign will work to resume communication with voters in the days ahead to educate Pennsylvanians on Senator Casey’s record, his opponent’s record, and the stakes of this Senate race.” 

McCormick’s campaign did not directly respond to requests for comment or details on the pitch to suspend negative advertising or if it has halted its television advertisements. McCormick also wrote an op-ed that appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, writing that, “It’s time to stop the unending ratchet of political polemic by extremists on either side who believe their opponents’ extinction is the only option … This is a political sickness, and it’s spreading. It  isn’t manifest only in one party, and it can’t be fixed by one party alone.”

As McCormick appeared on television and called for negative advertisement suspension on Monday, his campaign’s Facebook page had several active digital ads, while Casey’s remained halted.