WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump defended using federal tax dollars to fund a series of television ads that promote his agenda weeks before the November midterm election, arguing the ads are "for the country," not to boost himself or his party's election chances.
Trump addressed the controversial ad campaign publicly for the first time Sept. 30 in response to a question from a reporter. Despite federal laws that prohibit using public funds on political advertising, Trump argued the ads are legal because he's not running for office in the midterms and he doesn't single out any candidates in the ads.
"When I talk about making American country, about making our country great, that's a countrywide ad. That's an ad for the spirit of our country,"
Trump said.
"Now, if somebody said that that's wrong, I'll gladly pay the money. But these are ads for the country. You've got to understand, I'm not promoting a candidate. I'm not promoting myself, because I'm not running for office. I'm promoting the country."
The ads are financed by federal funds from the Department of Homeland Security, which on Sept. 20 awarded a $20 million government contract to an advertising agency called LMD Agency, Inc. to carry out a "national media campaign." AdImpact, a firm that tracks campaign spending on television advertising, estimate the government has spent $1.7 million so far to air the ads.
The first Trump ad, which aired Sept. 23, features Trump urging Americans to "defeat communism," while touting his economic record and personal resilience, as a choir in the background recites the verse "Love me." Attorneys for musical artist JMSN, whose song "Love me" is featured in the ad, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the White House on Sept. 28 demanding the administration stop using his song.
Another ad shows Trump delivering remarks at Mount Rushmore during this year's Fourth of July celebration. "This is only the beginning of the golden age of America," Trump says in the ad.
A third ad, which aired nationally over the weekend during NFL football games, is identical to a commercial Trump aired during the 2024 presidential election. Trump, narrating this ad as well, warns of a "final battle" for Americans to defeat "the deep state," Marxists and other "villains."
Each ad ends with the statement: "Paid for by the U.S. government."
Annual appropriations acts approved by Congress prohibit public money paying for political advertisements and propaganda, and the Hatch Act restricts federal employees from engaging in political activity. To apparently skirt the provisions in appropriation funds, the Trump administration is using money from the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump's sprawling tax and spending legislation approved by only Republicans in Congress in 2025.
White House officials have defended the legality of the ads by arguing it's a "public service announcement," and ‒ similar to Trump ‒ asserted it isn't political because there's no call to action and Trump is not on the November ballot.
Although Trump is not on the November ballot, however, the president has urged his supporters to "pretend" he's on the ballot in a bid to energize them about an election that is showing signs of a potential blue wave for Democrats.
Democrats have slammed the ads and demanded the White House take them off the airwaves. A Sept. 29 letter from Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeks answers within 48 hours about DHS's apparent involvement in the ad.
"This administration’s defense of using Americans’ tax dollars to air these ads is as absurd as it is offensive," their letter reads. "The American people deserve answers about how this president is literally stealing their tax dollars to air campaign ads celebrating himself—while doing nothing to help them afford health care or housing."
Some Republicans have also criticized the ad campaign. “I like the message," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters. "But it shouldn't be paid for with taxpayer dollars.”
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says taxpayer-funded TV ads are 'for the country,' not himself
