Hispanic Heritage Month started on Monday 鈥� which, in a presidential election year, means the sound of political salsa.
Both presidential campaigns this week are ramping up media directed at Hispanic voters. And both are relying on the often clich茅 salsa soundtrack, even though that music isn't even really part of the culture of the U.S.'s majority Hispanic community, Mexican-Americans.
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has borrowed the tune from the 1997 salsa hit 鈥淛uliana鈥� by Dark Latino Groove for a campaign video called 鈥�Qu茅 Mala Kamala鈥� 鈥� or 鈥淜amala Is So Bad.鈥�
The revised lyrics take a salsa swipe at Trump's Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, while trying, with little to no success, to make it look as if Trump is dancing salsa.
In a statement, Trump鈥檚 campaign says the video 鈥� whose only message is "Kamala qu茅 mala eres," or "Kamala you are so bad" 鈥� is meant to point out 鈥淗ispanic Americans have been left behind鈥� by Harris and President Biden.
READ MORE: Why Democrats will face even more challenges with Latino voters in the coming year
Meanwhile, Harris鈥� campaign has launched a $3 million effort targeted at Hispanic voters, especially those in key swing states like Nevada and Arizona.
It includes ads like one in English titled "My Voice" and its companion Spanish-language spot "Mi Voz," featuring Puerto Rican radio personality Victor Martinez of Pennsylvania 鈥� arguably the most critical swing state in play.
In that ad, which also carries a salsa groove in the background, Martinez says 鈥�Kamala escucha,鈥� or 鈥淜amala listens鈥� to Hispanic families struggling with housing and inflation.
A new UnidosUS poll shows Harris leading Trump nationally with Hispanics, 59% to 32%.
Trump performs significantly better, however, with Hispanics in Florida, where the same survey shows him garnering 42% of Hispanics to 49% for Harris.
Florida communities such as Cubans, Venezuelans and Colombians are much more attuned to Trump's false claim that Harris and the Democrats are "socialistas" in the mold of leftist dictatorships in Latin America.
Harris' standing with Hispanics is marked improvement over President Biden's. Before Biden dropped his re-election bid this summer and Harris took his place on the Democratic ticket, some polls showed him and Trump neck-and-neck with Hispanic voters.
Harris will address the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington D.C. on Wednesday as part of the Heritage Month activities.
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