USA28 September, 20263 min read
Senate Republicans Push Back On White House Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads Featuring “Cast Out” Message
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White House spent about $1.5–1.7 million on taxpayer-funded Trump ads. GOP senators push back, warning against using taxpayer dollars for political promotion.
Taxpayer ads spark pushback
President Donald Trump’s government-funded television ads that pledge to “cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists” drew pushback from Senate Republicans as critics said the spots resemble Trump’s past campaign advertising.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters, “It’s a great message, I like the message, but it shouldn’t be paid for by taxpayer dollars,” while the White House argued the ads are “very clearly not campaign ads” and instead are “a reminder for Americans to love their country and know why it’s worth defending.”
Sen. Mike Rounds said, “It would not have been something that I would have done,” and he added that it was “not something I would have done” even though he said the White House is not covered by the same guidance.
Sen. John Cornyn said the ads cross a red line because using taxpayer money for a television ad “nearly identical” to Trump’s Truth Social ad “crosses a red line,” and he said, “if it comes from taxpayers, it shouldn’t.”
The latest advertisement ran with a disclaimer stating “Paid by the U.S. Government,” and the White House defended the series by pointing to past administrations’ national advertising efforts.
Spending totals and legal doubts
AdImpact estimated that the federal government spent at least $1.7 million to air three different TV ads featuring President Donald Trump in recent days, and critics said the spots could violate federal propaganda law.
Rep. Jamie Raskin condemned the first ad after it aired, writing, “This may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes,” and he said it was also “a Hatch Act violation.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the ads on Sunday, posting, “Don’t let the Fake News get away with their lies about our epic Public Service Announcements that have been running on tv,” while the White House said the announcements are “very clearly not campaign ads.”
Multiple legal experts consulted by The Associated Press said the ads appear to run afoul of federal statutes, including a law against congressionally appropriated funds being used for “publicity or propaganda,” and they said the ads differ from other administrations’ PSAs because they are not designed to help Americans access a specific program.
Richard Painter, a former White House ethics czar under Republican President George W. Bush, said, “This is increasingly looking like what authoritarian governments do to promote their leaders,” as AP reported the White House had not responded to inquiries about which part of the government is paying.
Bipartisan criticism grows
Senator John Kennedy told CBS News on Sunday that “there ought to be a rule” against taxpayer-funded ads promoting President Trump, and he also said the spending was “probably” illegal.
Kennedy said, “I don’t think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves,” and he added, “there probably is a rule – you can’t spend public money to promote yourself.”
The White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the campaign on social media, writing, “Don’t let the Fake News get away with their lies about our epic Public Service Announcements that have been running on tv,” while the White House continued to describe the ads as public service announcements.
Time reported that the 30-second ad ends with “Paid for by the U.S. Government” and that CNN reported it aired during at least two NFL games on Sunday, while AdImpact data cited by CNBC put the cost of the “Love Me” ad at nearly $920,000 to date.
Democrats also pressed for answers, and Sen. Maggie Hassan demanded details in a Sept. 24 letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, writing that the ad “does not have a clear official government purpose and appears to run afoul of federal prohibitions.”