WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is facing bipartisan backlash over taxpayer-funded TV ads featuring him less than 40 days before the November midterm elections.
The White House has defended the advertisements, which bear the message “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” as public service announcements intended to promote patriotism.
But the content of the spots and their timing have raised questions among lawmakers in both parties about whether government money should fund messages that prominently feature Trump and closely resemble material from his political campaigns.
Trump’s ‘Final Battle’ Ad Airs During NFL Games
The latest advertisement features black-and-white footage of Trump walking down a hallway as his voice describes what he calls a “final battle.”
“We will cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists,” Trump says in the advertisement. “We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains, once and for all.”
The spot aired during at least two NFL games Sunday, including Fox broadcasts of the Washington Commanders-Seattle Seahawks matchup and the Carolina Panthers-Cleveland Browns game.
The advertisement has also drawn attention because it appears nearly identical to a video Trump posted on Truth Social in January 2024 during his presidential campaign.
The earlier version contained an additional six seconds featuring Trump’s campaign logo and a number for viewers to text. The new government-funded version instead displays the message that it was paid for by the U.S. government.
Trump Personally Involved in Ads
Trump personally drove the production of the advertisements and helped select some of the imagery and video used, citing a source familiar with the matter, according to CNN
Two Trump advisers told CNN that the White House video team created the advertisements in-house. The team is part of the White House communications operation and handles the administration’s public messaging.
The latest spot is at least the third government-funded message featuring Trump that the media tracker AdImpact has identified in recent days.
An earlier advertisement began airing last week and featured rapidly edited images and video of Trump while a song played and he declared that “America will never be a communist country.”
A third spot features Trump at Mount Rushmore as his voice praises the United States.
Republicans Join Democratic Criticism
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he liked the message but questioned the decision to use taxpayer money to pay for it.
“It’s a great message. I like the message, but it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars,” Thune told reporters Monday.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas also objected to the spending, saying, “It’s not even a close question.”
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., similarly said, “You can’t spend public money to promote yourself.”
Democrats have also accused the administration of using government resources for political purposes.
Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., described the advertisements on X as “propaganda,” “illegal” and “un-American.”
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., said, “It’s propaganda, and you’re paying the bill.
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., argued that the advertisements could raise criminal and Hatch Act concerns for government employees involved in their production.
Raskin said the creation of the advertisements could amount to a Hatch Act violation if government employees used federal resources for political campaign purposes.
White House Defends Government Spending
The White House has rejected the criticism, saying the advertisements are not campaign commercials.
A White House spokesperson described the latest advertisement as “educational and unapologetically patriotic.”
“These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad,” the spokesperson said.
White House officials have compared the advertisements with public service campaigns from previous administrations, including President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and wartime messaging associated with President Franklin Roosevelt.
One White House official said the advertisements are “clearly not political,” arguing that Trump is not on the ballot and that the spots contain no call to action.
The administration’s defense comes as Trump is deeply involved in Republican efforts ahead of the midterms.
Earlier this month, Trump told Republicans at a party convention in Dallas to “pretend that I’m on the ballot” as he urged them to focus on the elections.
The president is expected to hit the road and campaign for Republican candidates in hotly contested states.
