The White House has been defending three taxpayer-funded ads that glorify President Donald Trump and are nearing at least $1.5 million in public spending, calling them public service announcements like those used in past administrations.
Kentucky's only Democrat on Capitol Hill, Representative Morgan McGarvey, told Spectrum News there's no question the videos veer from precedent.
"The White House is clearly campaigning for the president and putting out propaganda," the Louisville lawmaker said. "He's using taxpayer dollars to do it. That's why the House Oversight Committee is already investigating this because it's obviously a misuse of funds."
Don’t worry, using taxpayer dollars to run ominous campaign ads of the President has been done before and is completely legal… in banana republics. https://t.co/HI65p2SNB3
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 27, 2026
Outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massey, a frequent critic of the administration, wrote online: "Don't worry, using taxpayer dollars to run ominous campaign ads of the president has been done before and is completely legal...in banana republics."
Multiple legal experts consulted by the Associated Press said the ads appear to run afoul of federal statutes, including a law against congressionally appropriated funds being used for "publicity or propaganda" and a law that limits the partisan political activities of government employees.