# Trump's taxpayer-funded ads face bipartisan backlash

> Bipartisan critics call Trump's government-funded campaign ads illegal propaganda.
- Title: Trump's taxpayer-funded ads face bipartisan backlash
- Summary: Bipartisan critics call Trump's government-funded campaign ads illegal propaganda. Trump's ads using taxpayer money are deemed illegal propaganda by both…
- Keywords: trump, taxpayer-funded ads, bipartisan criticism, congressional democrats, republican lawmakers, federal law, public service announcement, nfl games, truth social, claremont new hampshire, victor orbán, george w bush
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/trumps-taxpayer-funded-ads-are-receiving-bipartisan-criticism
- Author: Alex Nguyen
- Published: 2026-09-28T12:51:07+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: trump, taxpayer-funded ads, bipartisan criticism, congressional democrats, republican lawmakers, federal law, public service announcement, nfl games, truth social, claremont new hampshire, victor orbán, george w bush
## Trump's ad airs
President Trump aired a taxpayer-funded ad during NFL games on September 27, 2026.

> We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country
## Bipartisan pushback
Republicans and Democrats criticize the ad as illegal government propaganda.

> Don't worry using taxpayer dollars to run ominous campaign ads of the President has been done before and is completely legal in banana republics
## Ad changes logo
Trump's ad now shows 'Paid for by the US government' instead of campaign logo.

> Paid for by the US government
## Lawyer's warning
Sen. Thom Tillis compared the ad to Viktor Orbán's tactics.

> It's not like they need a GoFundMe page to have the dollars to do that sort of ad and they could do it
## Democrats demand action
Congressional Democrats wrote a letter demanding the ad be taken off air.

> We write to demand that you immediately take this ad off the air and discipline the Federal employees who knowingly violated Federal law in working on and paying for this advertisement
## White House response
White House calls ads 'public service announcements' not campaign ads.

> Trump's supposed PSA says and does very little beyond extolling Trump
## Key takeaway

Trump's ads using taxpayer money are deemed illegal propaganda by both parties.