Trump Administration Airs 2024 Campaign Ad Using Taxpayer Funds

The Trump administration has begun broadcasting a television advertisement from Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, funded by taxpayers, as part of a series of promotional spots airing ahead of the midterm elections. The White House describes the advertisements as public service announcements.

The 30-second video closely mirrors one shown during the 2024 campaign. It depicts Trump walking through a hallway while his narration warns of a "final battle" against "globalists" and "warmongers." The black-and-white footage concludes with Trump looking directly at the camera and a disclosure reading, "Paid for by the U.S. Government." The original campaign version had urged viewers to "Join President Trump's Fight for America."

In the narration, Trump says: "With you at my side, we will demolish the 'deep state.' We will expel the war mongers from our government. We will drive out the globalists; we will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists. We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all."

Spending on the latest advertisement has already exceeded roughly $319,000, according to AdImpact, which monitors media spending.

The spot joins a minute-long advertisement that started airing Friday, featuring nighttime scenes of Mount Rushmore with quotes and clips from Trump's Fourth of July weekend speech there marking the country's 250th anniversary. An earlier 30-second spot that debuted Wednesday shows Trump discussing the defeat of communism, paired with on-screen text promoting the "largest tax cuts in history," "reigniting American manufacturing" and a call to "defend law and order and police."

Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the series for its political character and its use of public funds. The White House maintains the advertisements resemble those aired by previous presidents, though earlier ones focused on specific policies rather than the officeholder.

In a statement on Friday, the White House defended the spots as public service announcements and rejected the criticism as "deeply dishonest." It said, "The announcements are very clearly not campaign ads; President Trump is not on the ballot and there is no call to action." The statement added that they serve as a reminder for Americans to love their country and understand why it is worth defending "at home, at the border, and abroad."

The White House pointed to past examples, including a George W. Bush administration campaign about a Medicare law and a Biden administration effort on COVID-19 vaccinations.