{"slug":"taxpayer-funded-trump-ads-midterms","title":"White House Airs Taxpayer-Funded Pro-Trump TV Ads on Fox News and Newsmax Ahead of the Midterms (September 2026)","date":"2026-09-24","lastUpdated":"2026-10-01","description":"In the week of September 21, 2026, the White House aired a 30-second television spot labelled 'Paid for by the U.S. Government' on Fox News and Newsmax. In it Trump pledges to 'defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism in America,' rapid images of Trump appear alongside on-screen claims such as 'LARGEST TAX CUTS IN HISTORY,' and UFC CEO Dana White calls him the 'the toughest, most resilient person I've ever met'. The White House called the ads 'educational and unapologetically patriotic' public service announcements and said they are 'clearly not political' because Trump is not on the ballot. Rep. Jamie Raskin called the spending potentially 'felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes.' On October 1, Raskin and Rep. Whitesides asked the GAO and the Office of Special Counsel to investigate under the appropriations ban on 'publicity or propaganda,' the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Hatch Act. Sen. Maggie Hassan sought records from White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.","summary":"Six weeks before the midterm elections, the White House used public money to air a campaign-style ad glorifying the president on Fox News and Newsmax. It called the spot a patriotic public service announcement. Democrats asked federal watchdogs to investigate whether it breaks the long-standing ban on spending appropriated funds on 'publicity or propaganda' and the Hatch Act. No watchdog finding had been issued as of this entry's last update.","category":"corruption","severity":"significant","ongoing":true,"sources":[{"url":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-administrations-campaign-style-ad-fox-news-taxpayer/story?id=136723829","title":"Administration's pro-Trump TV ad is taxpayer-funded","publisher":"ABC News"},{"url":"https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/09/trump-midterms-campaign-ad-us-tax-dollars.html","title":"The Latest Sign Donald Trump Is Feeling Scared About the Midterms","publisher":"Slate"},{"url":"https://fox17.com/news/nation-world/white-house-defends-government-funded-trump-ad-democrats-demand-answers-public-service-announcement-midterm-elections-love-me-jmsn-song-dana-white-fox-newsmax-adimpact-spending-susie-wiles-letter-senator-maggie-hassan-jamie-raskin-advertisement","title":"White House defends government-funded Trump ad as Democrats demand answers","publisher":"FOX 17 (Sinclair National Desk)"},{"url":"https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-raskin-rep-whitesides-demand-watchdog-probes-into-taxpayer-funded-trump-campaign-ads","title":"Ranking Member Raskin, Rep. Whitesides Demand Watchdog Probes into Taxpayer-Funded Trump Campaign Ads","publisher":"House Judiciary Committee Democrats"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["Hatch Act","propaganda","taxpayer funds","2026 midterms","Fox News","Newsmax","misuse of public funds"],"relatedEntries":["trump-hatch-act-violations-political-use-government","trump-hatch-act-use-white-house-campaign","voter-suppression-election-interference"],"timeline":[{"date":"2026-09-24","title":"Ad airing; White House defends it; Raskin alleges theft and Hatch Act violation","summary":"ABC News reports the 'Paid for by the U.S. Government' spot has aired repeatedly that week on Fox News and Newsmax. The White House calls the ad an 'educational and unapologetically patriotic' public service announcement. Rep. Jamie Raskin calls it potentially 'felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes.'"},{"date":"2026-09-25","title":"Hassan demands records from Wiles","summary":"Sen. Maggie Hassan writes to Chief of Staff Susie Wiles seeking records on the ad's cost, funding source and official purpose."},{"date":"2026-10-01","title":"GAO and OSC investigations requested","summary":"Raskin and Rep. Whitesides ask the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel to investigate under the propaganda rider, the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Hatch Act."}],"location":{"name":"Washington, DC","lat":38.9072,"lng":-77.0369},"custom":{"era":"second-term","posture":"reported","victims":"U.S. taxpayers; the fairness of the 2026 midterm elections","perpetrators":"The White House","keyPoints":["The 30-second spot, labelled 'Paid for by the U.S. Government,' aired repeatedly on Fox News and Newsmax across several media markets during the week of September 21, 2026.","ABC News reported an initial buy of about $14,000, citing the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.","White House: the ads are 'educational and unapologetically patriotic' and 'clearly not political' because 'President Trump is not on the ballot.'","Federal law bars appropriated funds from being used for 'publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by Congress.' Government-ethics expert Kevin Kosar told ABC the ad appeared to be 'puffery.'","Sen. Maggie Hassan asked Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for records on production costs, funding sources and the ad's government purpose, arguing it lacked 'a clear official government purpose.'"],"legalBasis":"Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, § 718 (publicity or propaganda prohibition); Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. § 1341); Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 7321-7326)","postureNote":"GAO and OSC investigations were requested on October 1, 2026. No finding of a violation has been made. The White House has not publicly identified which appropriation paid for the ads."}}