Republican National Committee head Reince Priebus has declared Donald Trump the "presumptive GOP nominee" and is trying to rally his party around the hashtag #NeverHillary. But the Republicans resolutely opposed to Trump are sticking with #NeverTrump, and they have vowed to keep on keeping on, even though they just lost their last real shot to deprive Trump of the nomination. You can argue that their tactics were ineffective, but nobody can say they didn't try. In total, CNN's Gregory Wallace reports, Republicans ran more than $70 million in broadcast television ads during the campaign, or 64,000 different ads.
In his victory speech on Tuesday night, Trump criticized the steady stream of #NeverTrump ads in Indiana, saying he asked his advisers, "how can anyone endure this?" (Of course, since it was a victory speech, Trump was answering his own question.) The $75.7 million in TV ad spending, as counted by Kantar Media/CMAG, includes all ads run against Trump during the campaign, by all the candidates and their super PACs; Marco Rubio's supporters at Conservative Solutions PAC spent the most, some $19.7 million, followed by pro-Jeb! group Right to Rise, at nearly $10 million.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The World War Two experiments that made D-Day possibleUnder The Radar Scientists performed gruelling tests on themselves paving the way for the iconic invasion
-
Is the Supreme Court about to criminalize homelessness?Talking Points The court will decide if bans on outdoor camping are 'cruel and unusual'
-
Fall into the groove at these delightful record storesThe Week Recommends Each one strikes its own chord
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spiesSpeed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrikeSpeed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claimsSpeed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claimsSpeed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aidSpeed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of warSpeed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picksSpeed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
