Trump approved Kushner-backed TV ad campaign tying Biden to Ukraine conspiracy theory

President Donald Trump is already fundraising off the impeachment battle, and using some of that money on ads tying Joe Biden to the conspiracy theory at the heart of the Ukraine scandal.

The president's re-election campaign pushed out an ad produced over this summer begging supporters to "stop this nonsense" -- meaning impeachment, officially launched just last week -- and raked in $8.5 million and drew in more than 50,000 new donors in two days, reported Politico.

The 2020 campaign spent more than $1 million on Facebook ads in a 72-hour period last week, and sent out more than 65 million emails and 12 million text messages asking small-dollar donors to help push back on “hateful and baseless attacks” against the president.

“When you’re under attack, your supporters are more engaged and that’s the general position — that ‘We’re under siege,’ and ‘We need your help,' and ‘This is ridiculous,’ and ‘Let’s fight back,’” said Gerrit Lansing, who heads the online donation processor WinRed. "That’s a powerful message."

The campaign also plowed $8 million into national TV spots linking the former vice president to Ukraine and accusing Democrats of plotting to "steal" next year's election.

Trump personally signed off on that ad buy after son-in-law Jared Kushner recommended the spots, according to an administration official.

The Republican National Committee has rolled out separate ad campaigns targeting House Democrats from Trump-leaning districts who have backed impeachment, but Democrats have expressed unease at fundraising or even campaigning on the possibility of removing Trump from office.

“Democrats just aren't as motivated and excited by the specter of removing the president as they are by soundly defeating him next year, and there's a conscious effort to avoid overly politicizing a legal process,” said veteran Democratic strategist Daniel Scarvalone. “I wouldn't be shocked if Democrats continued to tiptoe around the issue, because there just isn't as much upside for it as there is for Republicans.”