Trump administration condemned over political ad paid for by the US government

As the midterms in November get ever closer, US president Donald Trump’s administration has come under fire for producing a campaign ad which was “paid for by the U.S. Government”.

The ad, which was reportedly broadcast on Fox News, features several clips and images of the Republican, as he is heard saying: “Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America. America will never be a communist country.”

It also claims the administration has brought about the “largest tax cuts in history” and is “reigniting American manufacturing”.

Author Don Winslow was among those on X/Twitter who called out the paid ad, writing: “This is actually against the law. Not that it matters in 2026”:

“Again and again, they press the question: What is it that they will NOT DO,” tweeted journalist and author Jay Bookman:

Progressive political commentator Luke Beasley said: “This is completely bats*** insane and 99% of Americans will never hear about it”:

Brian Krassenstein, also a political commentator, asked: “Why the hell is the US government and our taxpayers paying for Trump political ad [sic] on Fox News?”:

Vermont senator Bernie Sanders tweeted: “This is what authoritarianism looks like”:

“Every taxpayer, no matter your party, should be outraged by this,” commented Connecticut senator Chris Murphy:

And former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard W. Painter said: “This is a political ad, and it is ILLEGAL for the White House to pay for it with taxpayer funds”:

In a statement issued to Variety on Friday, the White House said many other past administrations have run public service announcements which “make the case for the nation’s direction”.

“The attacks on President Donald J. Trump’s public service announcements are highly dishonest. The announcements are very clearly not campaign ads; President Trump is not on the ballot and there is no call to action.

Instead, the announcements are a reminder for Americans to love their country and know why it’s worth defending - at home, at the border, and abroad. That’s not partisanship - that’s a government that still believes in the country it serves,” it said.

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