Today, ahead of President Joe Biden’s speech near Valley Forge on Friday, Team Biden-Harris launched their first television ad of 2024 issuing a stark reminder of Donald Trump and MAGA extremists’ prior and ongoing efforts to erode American democracy and excuse – and even promote – political violence. The 60-second TV spot, “Cause,” narrated by President Biden, highlights the existential threat our country’s democracy faces from the MAGA extremism that now defines the Republican Party and showcases President Biden’s steadfast dedication to ensuring free and fair elections and the right of all Americans to have their votes counted.

See coverage below:

NBC News: Biden campaign previews Jan. 6-focused speech with new TV ad

By: Victor J. Blue

As President Joe Biden prepares to deliver his first major re-election speech of 2024, marking the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, his warning about the fragility of America’s democracy will be front and center in the campaign's first ad to hit the airwaves this year.

The Biden campaign says the new 60-second spot highlights "the existential threat our country’s democracy faces from the MAGA extremism that now defines the Republican Party." It draws heavily from a prominent speech Biden made in Arizona last fall, when he said that the MAGA movement "does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy" and that it posed a threat to democratic institutions. …

The Biden campaign itself says it is starting 2024 with a renewed focus on the significant stakes for American democracy on the ballot this year. There are more than 300 days until the general election, but Biden’s campaign is sharpening the democracy message as Republican voters will begin the process of determining their standard-bearer on Jan. 15 with Iowa’s leadoff caucuses.

"Over the last three years, MAGA Republicans haven’t shied away from the Big Lie — they’ve doubled down. This ad serves as a very real reminder that this election could very well determine the very fate of American democracy," campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.

The Messenger: Biden Campaign Releases New Ad Highlighting ‘Existential Threat’ of ‘MAGA Extremism’

By: Eva Surovell

President Joe Biden's reelection campaign released a new ad on Wednesday highlighting the "existential threat" that "MAGA extremism" poses to the U.S.

The new minute-long advertisement, first reported by NBC News, highlights a speech on democracy delivered by the president last fall. Titled "Cause," the advertisement includes images from the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va., and the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

"History is watching," Biden warns during the speech. "The world is watching. And most important, our children and grandchildren will hold us responsible."

The new Biden campaign advertisement comes ahead of the president's first major address on the campaign trail which will occur on Friday, the day before the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Guardian: Biden’s first 2024 campaign ad highlights threats to US democracy

By: Rachel Leingang

Joe Biden’s first campaign ad of the year focuses on threats to US democracy, timed for release on the anniversary of the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol. …

The Biden attack ad will run nationally and in local markets in swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as online.

The spot highlights how Trump and his followers are continually working to undermine elections, the Biden-Harris campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said in a news release.

“Over the last three years, Maga Republicans haven’t shied away from the Big Lie – they’ve doubled down. This ad serves as a very real reminder that this election could very well determine the very fate of American democracy,” she said.

Washington Examiner: Biden leans into Jan. 6 messaging in first campaign ads of 2024

By: Christian Datoc

President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign announced its first advertisements of the year on Thursday: a half-million-dollar campaign highlighting former President Donald Trump's role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The campaign, which will launch on Saturday, the third anniversary of the riot, is titled "Cause" and is narrated by Biden. …

"I made the preservation of American democracy the central issue of my presidency. I believe in free and fair elections and the right to vote fairly and have your vote counted," Biden says in the full television ad. "There's something dangerous happening in America. There's an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs of our democracy."

"All of us are being asked right now, 'What will we do to maintain our democracy?' History is watching. The world is watching. Most importantly, our children and grandchildren will hold us responsible," the president continues. "The vice president and I have supported voting rights since day one of this administration, and I ask every American to join me in this cause."

The Hill: Biden campaign focuses on democracy in first ad of 2024

By: Alex Gangitano

President Biden’s reelection campaign dropped its first advertisement of 2024, focusing on preserving democracy to mark the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

The 60-second spot, entitled “Cause,” is narrated by Biden and argues that former President Trump, the GOP primary frontrunner, has made efforts to “erode American democracy and excuse – and even promote – political violence.”

“I’ve made the preservation of American democracy an essential issue of my presidency,” Biden said in the ad. “Now, something dangerous is happening in America. There’s an extremist movement that does not share the basis beliefs in our democracy.”

The half-million-dollar ad blitz will run for a week on national television news and local evening news in key swing state television markets, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Shorter versions of the ad will run on digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Connected TV, the campaign said.

Fox News: Biden to double down on Jan 6 attacks on Trump as 'Bidenomics' message deflates

By: Anders Hagstrom

President Biden's campaign is doubling down on Jan. 6-related attacks against former President Trump in the coming weeks following the poor performance of the White House's "Bidenomics" messaging.

Biden will launch the new wave of attacks on Friday, framing Trump as a threat to democracy during a speech at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Senior campaign officials highlighted the location's connection with George Washington and Trump's attempts to cling to power, contradicting Washington's willingness to step down from office, according to Axios.

"Over the last three years, MAGA Republicans haven’t shied away from the Big Lie — they’ve doubled down," Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez told NBC News.

Florida Politics: Joe Biden campaign to launch new ad marking anniversary of Jan. 6 Capitol riot

By: Janelle Irwin Taylor

'History is watching. The world is watching. Most importantly, our children and grand children will hold us responsible.'

The Joe Biden campaign is launching its first ad of the new year, which will spotlight threats the campaign believes “MAGA extremism” poses to the nation’s democracy. And it will air on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots for which former President Donald Trump is accused of inciting.

The 60-second spot entitled “Cause” includes a narration from Biden himself and is cast to remind voters of Trump and his supporters’ “prior and ongoing efforts to erode American democracy and excuse — and even promote — political violence,” a press release announcing the ad claims.

The ad contrasts Trump — as well as his supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who have a “steadfast dedication to ensuring free and fair elections and the right of all Americans to have their votes counted.”

MSNBC (Video): Biden-Harris campaign releases first ad of 2024

The Biden Harris campaign is out today with its first ad of the new year about the ongoing threat to American democracy ahead of Biden's Jan. 6th address on Friday to mark the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Mediaite: Biden Goes Heavy On Jan. 6 Footage in Scorching New 60-Second Spot Warning ‘Something Dangerous’ Is Happening

By: Alex Griffing

President Joe Biden dropped his first ad of 2024 on Thursday and leaned heavily into the message that former President Donald Trump and his followers are a threat to American democracy, although he did not name the presumptive GOP nominee by name.

“I’ve made the preservation of American democracy the central issue of my presidency. I believe in free and fair elections and the right to vote fairly and have your vote counted,” Biden says to begin the ad.

As images of January 6th and polling places flash across the screen, Biden then warns, “There’s something dangerous happening in America.”