North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s PAC vowed the presidential candidate would “win the Cold War with China” in a new nationwide ad rolling out Wednesday.
The Best of America PAC ad attempts to differentiate Burgum from the rest of the GOP field by arguing that the conservative businessman is the only one “tough enough” to take on China.
“We need to stop buying energy from our enemies and start selling energy to our friends and allies,” Burgum says in the 30-second clip shared exclusively with the Daily Caller.
“Conservative business leader Governor Burgum is the strong leader America needs to take on China and win,” PAC spokesperson Emily Benavides told the Caller. “Governor Burgum will stand strong against China by strengthening America’s energy independence, lowering gas prices, and rebuilding our military.”
Burgum has touted his hawkish posture towards China in previous remarks on the campaign trail.
He tore into President Joe Biden’s China approach on the GOP debate stage in Milwaukee, saying the president’s energy policies are “just subsidizing China” and calling for the Biden administration to put Harpoon anti-ship missiles on Taiwan. (RELATED: Recently Hospitalized GOP Candidate Doug Burgum Spotted On Crutches Before Debate)
Burgum also criticized the GOP candidates for focusing too much on issues surrounding Jan. 6 and the 2020 election.
“China is the number-one threat to our country, and every minute that these eight candidates spend talking about the past instead about the future is time that is just … you know who loves it? Biden loves it, but China loves it when we’re talking about the past,” Burgum said on the debate stage. (RELATED: ‘The Guy’s Got Balls’: Meet The Little-Known Governor Who’s Expected To Jump Into The 2024 Presidential Race)
The two-term governor is facing a heavyweight Republican primary field and is stressing his “small town” roots and North Dakota background, in addition to his policy agenda.
The Real Clear Politics (RCP) average for a Republican primary has Burgum polling at 0.5 percent, based on polls conducted between Aug. 17 and Aug. 26.