Two House Democrats have requested investigations into television advertisements funded by taxpayer money that promote President Trump. Representatives Jamie Raskin of Maryland and George Whitesides of California submitted letters to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel on Wednesday seeking inquiry into the commercials.
The first advertisement aired on 23 September and features images of Trump alongside audio of UFC president Dana White praising the president. A second ad pairs Trump footage with audio from a rally criticizing the “deep state”. Both commercials include fine print indicating they were paid for by the US government. The lawmakers characterized the ads as “desperate pre-election propaganda” and called the spending “plainly illegal.”
Raskin and Whitesides argue the ads may violate multiple statutes, including a provision in this year’s spending act prohibiting funds for “publicity or propaganda,” the Anti-Deficiency Act, federal criminal statutes on misusing public funds, and the Hatch Act. The lawmakers contend that executive branch employees must have assisted in producing the ads, potentially violating the Hatch Act. The White House has characterized the advertisements as public service announcements, while Trump stated he would “gladly pay the money” if deemed improper.
The lawmakers reject the White House’s framing, noting that nearly every claim in the ads is false and that the commercials closely resemble Trump’s 2024 campaign advertising. They point to examples including claims about manufacturing revival that conflict with reported job losses in that sector during his second term. They also highlight Trump’s August statement urging supporters to “pretend” he was on the ballot as evidence the ads are political in nature.
The matter has drawn attention from some Republicans as well. Senate majority leader John Thune and senators Mike Rounds, John Kennedy, and Thom Tillis have raised concerns about the public funding, though FCC chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, deemed the ads appropriate. The scrutiny follows previous administration advertising spending, including over $200 million spent by the Department of Homeland Security last year on ads promoting immigration policies.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI