US Government-Funded Trump Ad Expands Reach as Spending Jumps to $430,000
A US government-funded TV ad promoting President Trump aired for a third day with spending rising from $14,000 to $430,000, drawing bipartisan criticism.
A television advertisement funded by the United States government that promotes President Donald Trump and echoes Republican political themes aired for a third consecutive day on Friday, with its spending and reach expanding even as it drew criticism from both parties.
According to AdImpact, which tracks media spending, the cost of the ad has risen from $14,000 to $430,000 as it runs on network TV channels in markets nationwide. The final figure could be higher still, depending on whether networks classified the spot as a political advertisement.
The 30-second commercial features clips of Trump speaking about defeating communism, interspersed with on-screen text promoting the "largest tax cuts in history," "reigniting American manufacturing," and a call to "defend law and order and police." Its soundtrack includes a chorus repeating "love me," and it closes with a disclosure that the U.S. government paid for it.
On Thursday, politicians from both parties questioned the ad's appropriateness, noting that laws bar taxpayer funds from being used for "publicity or propaganda" and restrict the partisan political activities of government employees. Republicans campaigning to defend their congressional majorities in November's midterm elections have produced ads with similar messaging on communism, the economy, and crime.
Several House Democrats in senior committee roles demanded on Thursday that the ad be pulled from the air, describing it as "the sort of government propaganda one might expect in North Korea." Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is not seeking reelection, called the ad "inappropriate" and compared it to something he would expect from former right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The White House defended the advertisement, calling it "educational and unapologetically patriotic." It did not respond to a question about which part of the government provided the funding.
"These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad," the White House said in a statement.