$5.5M Taxpayer Funds Bought Trump Ads on Fox News

Sign up for our DC Insider newsletter to get the real scoop on what is rocking Washington and rattling the White House. The story here involves the brazen use of $5.5 million in taxpayer money to buy ads praising Donald Trump's presidency. These TV commercials pushed patriotic imagery alongside videos showing Trump's accomplishments. They also included a promise that America will never be a communist country. One spot featured a song by singer JMSN repeating the phrase Love me. The artist has disputed using his music for these specific commercial breaks.

The money came from taxpayer funding of the Department of Homeland Security, according to reports from The New York Times. The ads began running on Fox News and other media during late September. A contract worth $20 was signed to commission them, though more are slated to air soon. At least four spots have run so far at a cost of about $5.5 million. That figure is expected to grow, sources say. When contacted by The Daily Mail, a White House spokesperson insisted the adverts are not political and are solely patriotic. They claimed these public service announcements remind Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending at home and abroad.

The text onscreen reads Paid for by the U.S. Government at the end of the clips. One ad features scenic videos of Mount Rushmore at night with quotes from Trump's Fourth of July weekend speech honoring the 250th anniversary. We know that this is not an ending, he says in the spot. This is only the beginning of the golden age of America. It ends with an audio clip of UFC Chairman Dana White praising President Trump as the toughest person he has ever met. Politicians across both sides of the aisle criticized the commercials on Thursday. Some noted laws prohibit taxpayer funds from being used for publicity or propaganda and limit partisan political activities of government employees.

Republicans running to defend their majorities in Congress have created ads with similar messaging about communism, the economy and crime. Several House Democrats with senior committee roles demanded that the first ad be taken off the air. They called it the sort of government propaganda one might expect in North Korea. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican not running for reelection, called the ad inappropriate. He likened it to something he would expect from former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Trump told The New York Times that he would gladly pay for the commercials if somebody said that was wrong. These are ads for the country, he stated with conviction. I am not promoting a candidate or myself because I am not running for office.

I am promoting the country," he said. This statement came as new advertising pushes launched across key battleground states. The bid is seen by many as part of a last-ditch effort to save Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Trump faces significant headwinds right now. He deals with record low approval ratings, an unpopular war in Iran, and high gas prices just weeks before the elections. Many Republican insiders in Washington are privately bracing for a major Democratic wave to sweep them out of power in Congress. That shift would leave Trump a lame duck president for his final two years in office. The latest polls show that Republicans are running behind, particularly in critical Senate races in Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, and even traditionally safe states for Republicans like Iowa and Texas. Trump insisted the commercials are patriotic as he is not promoting himself as a political candidate. The shift toward Democratic control in the prediction market has been particularly notable because Republicans held the advantage in the Senate market for much of the Midterm campaign. Currently, Republicans hold 53 Senate seats compared with 47 for Democrats and maintain an advantage of 219-214 in the House. The battle for the lower chamber is looking increasingly difficult for Republicans, with Democrats currently projected to hold around 230 seats compared with 200 for Republicans. Democrats need 218 seats for a majority there and would need 51 Senate seats to be able to avoid a tiebreaking vote from Vance.