The Trump administration is facing intense bipartisan backlash after spending at least $443,000 in taxpayer funds on television advertisements promoting President Donald Trump ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. While the White House defends the spots as patriotic public service announcements, critics and legal scholars argue they constitute illegal government propaganda. Adding to the controversy, the musician JMSN has threatened legal action over the unauthorized use of his song 'Love Me' in the broadcast.
Details of the first advertisement
- ▪The Trump administration, in its second term, used taxpayer funds to produce and broadcast a 30-second television advertisement on Fox News and Newsmax featuring President Donald Trump
- ▪The 30-second 'Love Me' advertisement that aired on Fox News features audio of Donald Trump vowing to defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism, alongside onscreen text boasting of the largest tax cuts in history
Legal assessments of the advertisement
- ▪Representative Jamie Raskin stated the taxpayer-funded pro-Trump 'Love Me' advertisement may violate the Hatch Act and constitute felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes
- ▪Columbia University law professor Richard Briffault stated the taxpayer-funded pro-Trump 'Love Me' commercial likely does not violate election law but raises questions regarding federal prohibitions against taxpayer-funded propaganda
Second advertisement broadcast on CBS
- ▪The broadcast of the Maduro capture advertisement on CBS occurred amid public scrutiny over the network's alleged conservative editorial shift under the leadership of editor-in-chief Bari Weiss
- ▪A second taxpayer-funded advertisement, following the Fox News 'Love Me' anti-communism ad, detailing a military operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, aired on CBS stations on September 24, 2026
Mount Rushmore advertisement
- ▪The Trump administration released a second government-funded advertisement on September 25, 2026, featuring Donald Trump's Mount Rushmore address and images of supporters waving Trump flags
- ▪The minute-long Mount Rushmore advertisement, which debuted Friday, aired on Newsmax during the programs 'Carl Higbie Frontline' and 'Greg Kelly Reports'
Debatable claims
- ▪CBS's broadcast of the taxpayer-funded Trump advertisements compromises its journalistic integrity
- ▪The Trump administration's advertisements violate the Hatch Act
- ▪The White House should pull its taxpayer-funded advertisements featuring Donald Trump
Story comments
Loading comments…