Innovative Ad Mocks Faux-Moderate Rep. Young Kim for Being Controlled by Trump and Corporate Donors

Kim Varet Is Taking Her Sharp Message Where It Hurts: to Fox News

Tustin, CA - Yesterday, CNN’s Dana Bash featured a segment on “Inside Politics” spotlighting Esther Kim Varet’s humorous and innovative new campaign advertisement. The :30 second TV ad depicts fake, AI-generated people who mock MAGA Republican Young Kim by comparing their lack of authenticity to hers; one AI character in the ad says “I may look and sound real, but there is nothing authentic about me — in that way, I’m a lot like Young Kim.”

This is the Esther Kim Varet campaign’s first TV ad, which will air in the coming weeks on Fox News and MSNBC, targeted to viewers within California’s 40th Congressional district.

WATCH THE CNN CLIP HERE

CNN’s coverage of Kim Varet’s first ad of the cycle showcases the clear momentum behind her campaign, which previously announced Q1 fundraising more than 3.2x greater than the rest of the combined CA-40 Democratic field, and a higher Q1 addition to campaign funds than incumbent Young Kim.

Kim Varet recently announced an early endorsement from the Congressional Asian Pacific Islander Caucus campaign action fund (ASPIRE PAC), and an endorsement from the VoteMama PAC. Kim Varet is the only Democratic challenger in CA-40 to have earned endorsements from any PACs to date.

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California’s 40th is a Congressional District representing portions of Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County in Southern California. CA-40’s constituents voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020. House Majority PAC lists CA-40 as a top target, the DCCC lists CA-40 as a “District in Play”, and the Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index (PVI) ranks the district as one of the 10 most vulnerable House seats with a Republican incumbent in the nation. Esther Kim Varet raised over $1 million in Q1 2025, outpacing the combined Democratic field by over 3.2x.

Incumbent Republican Young Kim’s support for MAGA policies, including a federal ban on abortion even in cases of rape and incest, support of the GOP budget bill that would strip 40,000+ of her constituents from Medicaid, blocking legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and rejection of common sense gun safety, have made Kim extremely vulnerable. In contrast, Esther Kim Varet will always vote to protect women’s right to choose, provide access to healthcare, lower prescription drug costs, and support responsible gun safety.

CA-40 includes the cities of Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, Orange, Chino Hills, Tustin, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Villa Park, Lake Forest, the unincorporated communities of North Tustin and Coto de Caza, and parts of Brea and Corona.