Biden: New Trump campaign attack ad proves he's 'terrified'

NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's campaign says President Donald Trump's misleading new television ad is proof that Trump is "in a panic" and knows Biden "would beat him like a drum."

Biden's 2020 campaign issued a statement Friday responding to news that Trump is spending $8 million on an ad highlighting the former vice president's work fighting corruption in Ukraine. The ad campaign, which includes an additional $2 million from the Republican National Committee targeting Democrats in key districts, come as Trump fends off an impeachment probe by House Democrats after a whistleblower's complaint accused Trump of repeatedly pressing Ukraine's leaders to investigate Biden and his son Hunter.

The Trump ad highlights Biden's efforts to make U.S. aid to Ukraine contingent on that country firing its chief prosecutor and claims that the fired prosecutor was investigating Hunter Biden. It also accuses Democrats of trying to "steal the 2020 election" by impeaching Trump.

But in fact, the prosecutor had failed to pursue any major anti-corruption investigations, leaving Ukraine's international donors deeply frustrated. In pressing for the prosecutor's ouster, Biden was representing the official position of the U.S. government, which was shared by other Western allies and many in Ukraine.

Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in the statement that the new ad campaign is proof that Trump is "in a panic." She said Trump "is trying to pick his opponent, and he will fail. Donald Trump is terrified of Joe Biden because the Vice President would beat him like a drum."

Trump has consistently trailed Biden in hypothetical head-to-head polls this year.