# White House spending millions on Trump ads

> The administration is using taxpayer money to air ads that look like campaign material, raising legal and ethical concerns.
- Title: White House spending millions on Trump ads · NBC News
- Summary: The administration is using taxpayer money to air ads that look like campaign material, raising legal and ethical concerns. The Trump administration is…
- Keywords: trump administration, taxpayer funded ads, campaign advertising, federal law, government spending, white house, political advertising, public service announcements, democrats, republicans, politics, news
- Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/white-house-releases-new-taxpayer-funded-ad-describing-final-battle-rcna600171
- Author: Megan Shannon
- Published: 2026-09-28T13:48:45.99+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: trump administration, taxpayer funded ads, campaign advertising, federal law, government spending, white house, political advertising, public service announcements, democrats, republicans, politics, news
## White House releases Trump ads with taxpayer money
The Trump administration released a new ad showing the president walking down a hallway calling to expel warmongers from government. The ad is labeled paid for by the U.S. government but is nearly identical to a 2024 campaign ad.
## Ads describe 'final battle' against deep state
The dramatic black-and-white ad features Trump vowing to demolish the deep state and defeat the fake news media. He says it's the final battle to liberate America from villains.

> We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all.
## Part of expanding PSA campaign
This is the second ad in the White House's public service announcement campaign. Last week, another ad showed Trump describing how to defeat communism, set to music.
## Over $1.7 million spent on ads
AdImpact estimates the administration has spent more than $1.7 million running these ads heavily during football games, Sunday morning news shows, and prime time broadcasts. The actual total may be higher.
## Federal law bans political use of public funds
Federal law requires political advertisers to disclose funding and generally bans using public funds for political advertising. The White House has not released a specific source of government funding for these ads.
## White House calls them patriotic education
A White House spokesperson said the ads remind Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending. Another official said they are not political because the president is not on the ballot.

> The PSAs are clearly not political. The president is not on the ballot, and the ads don't have a call to action.
## Democrats call it government propaganda
Congressional Democrats wrote that the ads are illegal misuse of taxpayer dollars, comparing them to propaganda in North Korea. Senator Patty Murray and others signed the letter to the White House chief of staff.

> This is the sort of government propaganda one might expect in North Korea, not the United States of America.
## Some Republicans also object
Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, said public officials should not spend public money on private ads for themselves. The concern crosses party lines.
## Key takeaway

The Trump administration is spending over $1.7 million in government funds on ads that resemble campaign advertisements, which may violate federal law banning political use of public money.