09/26/2026
The ad says "He loves." It doesn't say what. That’s deliberate.
Starting this past Wednesday, spots featuring the president began running on Fox News and Newsmax, tagged "Paid for by the U.S. Government." Those spaces were chosen to ensure Trump could see himself. ::Cue eyeroll::
Trump vows to defeat "communism, socialism and Marxism"; on-screen text touts "the largest tax cuts in history."
By today (Friday), per AP's count, the bill was at least $443,000 for the first ad alone, and a second — Mount Rushmore, "the Golden Age of America" — had started.
The midterms are in six weeks. I bet you’re thinking: “How is this legal?”
The White House's defense: they're public service announcements, like Biden's vaccine ads or Obama's enrollment spots, and "President Trump is not on the ballot."
Except… PSAs are a call to action. Get a shot. Sign up by the deadline.
These have a man, a slogan, and a network he likes.
Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina: "inappropriate," and it "feels like Viktor Orbán."
Jamie Raskin: a Hatch Act violation for every federal employee who worked on it, and possibly "theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes."
The musician whose song plays underneath, JMSN, says he "would never authorize" it, that it was used without asking, and that he's talking to lawyers.
We are paying for the coverage Trump wants and while legitimate press coverage is being restricted.
This money could’ve paid for over 100,000 school lunches.
Instead, it’s being used to feed Trump’s ego.