Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is blaming President Donald Trump in a new ad for empty sporting fields and stadiums amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden’s campaign ad titled “Anthem,” released on Friday, opens with an announcer telling fans and players to join in the singing of America’s national anthem.
The national anthem plays in the background as empty stadiums, empty chairs in a classroom, an empty church, and empty fields are shown.
“Trump put America on the sidelines. Let’s get back in the game,” the ad says.
Watch the ad below:
Biden’s ad comes soon after after the Big Ten Conference announced on Aug. 11 it decided to postpone its 2020-21 football season, as IJR previously reported.
The decision affects other sports including men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball.
Still, the NFL will kick off their season on Sept. 10 and will require players to be tested daily through Sept. 5, as IJR previously reported. More than 60 players have decided against playing this season.
The total number of coronavirus cases has reached more than 5.8 million, with the death toll standing at 181,050. There has been an average of 42,333 coronavirus cases per day over the past week, which is a 21% decrease from the average two weeks prior.
During his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump vowed to develop an expedited coronavirus vaccine “before the end of the year, or maybe even sooner.”
Biden criticized Trump for his response in a speech in Delaware in June and claimed Trump “surrendered” and “left the battlefield.”
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris said in a speech on Thursday, Trump “failed to protect the American people” and showed “a reckless disregard for the well being of the American people.”