US government-funded pro-Trump ads draw bipartisan scrutiny before midterms

September 28, 2026 at 02:55 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Television ads with a pro-Trump message, paid for by the U.S. government, aired on national networks over the weekend, drawing bipartisan scrutiny over whether they violate federal restrictions on taxpayer-funded propaganda. The ads, which have cost nearly $1.3 million so far, feature President Donald Trump and campaign-style themes ahead of November's midterm elections. Lawmakers from both parties questioned the ads' official purpose, even as a White House spokesperson defended them as patriotic public service announcements.

Key Facts

The U.S. government has spent nearly $920,000 airing one pro-Trump ad that ran during CBS' "Face the Nation" and college football games, according to AdImpact.
A second ad featuring Trump's 2024 campaign messaging has cost taxpayers more than $362,000, airing during NFL games and "Fox News Sunday."
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., wrote that the ad "does not have a clear official government purpose" and may violate federal prohibitions on propaganda aiding a political party.
A White House spokesperson defended the ads as "public service announcements" that are "educational and unapologetically patriotic."
Democrats lead in recent national public polling with just over five weeks until the November midterm elections.

Ad Content and Spending

One ad, backed by music repeating the words "love me," features Trump saying "America will never be a communist country" and flashes campaign talking points like "largest tax cuts in history." The ad aired on national network television over the weekend, including during CBS' "Face the Nation" and college football games, according to AdImpact. The government has spent nearly $920,000 airing that ad so far, and a disclaimer at the end says "paid for by the U.S. Government." A second ad shows Trump saying "This is the final battle" and listing goals like expelling "the warmongers from our government," drawn from his 2024 digital campaign. That second ad has cost taxpayers more than $362,000, airing during NFL football games on Sunday and during "Fox News Sunday," according to AdImpact.

Bipartisan Scrutiny

Lawmakers from both parties have objected to the taxpayer-funded ads, especially with the midterms just weeks away. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., wrote that the ad "does not have a clear official government purpose" and appears to violate federal prohibitions against using appropriated funds for propaganda aiding a political party or candidates. The ads mirror Republican campaign messages that brand Democrats as "communists" and tout the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" tax-cut law. Democrats lead in recent national public polling with just over five weeks to go until the November elections, aiming to strip Republicans of their majorities in the House and Senate.

White House Defense

A White House spokesperson defended the ads as "public service announcements" intended to remind "Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending." The spokesperson said the ad is "educational and unapologetically patriotic" and that "we should be proud of our country." The source of the funding for the ads has not yet been identified.