The RecordExhibit 105
Taxpayer-funded TV ads praising Trump before the midterms
Alleged means: Serious, credible accusations of illegality that no court or watchdog has decided yet.
The administration is airing TV spots celebrating Trump, labeled 'Paid for by the U.S. Government,' weeks before the November elections, paid for with $20 million in Homeland Security money.
What happened
One ad repurposes a 2024 campaign video. Spending laws have banned unauthorized government publicity or propaganda for about 75 years, and GAO has long treated self-aggrandizing or purely partisan messaging as covered. During the 2025 shutdown, agency websites also ran banners blaming Democrats. A second taxpayer-funded video followed in late September. CNN also reported tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars spent on a campaign showcasing Kristi Noem shortly before she left office. Federal records show the budget office approved releasing $20 million to Customs and Border Protection under a commemorative events funding line on Sept. 19, and CBP awarded a $20 million national media campaign contract to an ad firm the next day. Senate Democrats say the money came from border funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump personally pushed for the ads and helped shape them. The ad tracker AdImpact counted more than $2.5 million spent on three spots in a single week.
Where it stands
Public Citizen filed a complaint with GAO, the watchdog group CREW asked Homeland Security's inspector general to investigate, and top Democratic appropriators demanded the ads come off the air. Republicans have objected too: Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the ads shouldn't be paid for with taxpayer money, and Sen. Thom Tillis compared them to the advertising of Hungary's former leader Viktor Orban. Experts say they differ from past public-service campaigns because they don't point viewers to any government program. GAO hasn't ruled.
The administration's side
The White House says past presidents ran public-service campaigns too, and that the ad openly says the government paid for it, so it isn't covert. It also argues the videos aren't political because Trump isn't on the ballot.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/ads/