Taxpayer-Funded Pro-Trump Ads Draw Bipartisan Criticism Ahead of Midterms

The White House has expanded a taxpayer-funded television advertising campaign featuring President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm elections, prompting criticism from Democrats, ethics experts and at least one Republican senator.

One 30-second ad presents highlights from Trump’s second term, promotes his policy agenda and suggests Democrats are communists. Another repurposes footage from Trump’s 2024 campaign, showing him pledging to “demolish the deep state” and “expel the warmongers from our government.” Both identify the U.S. government as the payer. The ads have aired on major broadcast and cable networks, including during a nationally televised college football game and on Fox News Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that the campaign continued airing with increased spending. The New York Times, citing an AdImpact estimate, reported that the federal government had spent more than $1 million on pro-Trump advertising in recent days.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, told CBS News that public officials should not spend government money on advertisements promoting themselves. “There ought to be a rule,” he said, adding that such a rule “probably” already exists.

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin has argued that government employees involved in producing the ads or using public resources for them may have violated the Hatch Act, which restricts partisan political activity by federal workers. The White House has described the spots as public service announcements and defended their use, while Democratic lawmakers have called for them to be withdrawn.