The grid below by CMAG’s Mitchell West lays out a GOP-sponsored “anti-Trump” air campaign that is growing by the week, from 9% of all Republican TV spots (individual airings of commercials) by all advertisers in the presidential race during the first week in February, to 47% during the most recent week—and from 15% of all GOP spending on TV advertising during the first week in February to 62% last week. For the current week, the first day alone, March 7, racked up roughly half those percentages from the previous week, suggesting a significant escalation is at hand. While a handful of super PACs unaffiliated with any presidential candidates have made a mission of attacking Trump on the air, the super PACs supporting Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. John Kasich, along with the campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz, also have aired anti-Trump ads. The pro-Rubio Conservative Solutions PAC has spent nearly five times as much on anti-Trump ads as the next biggest spender. Note that Kantar Media CMAG tracks and codes the content of TV ads airing on local broadcast, national
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