House Democrats demand federal probe into $20 million taxpayer-funded Trump ad campaign

Watchdog inquiry requests

House Judiciary Committee ranking Democrat Jamie Raskin and Representative George Whitesides submitted a formal letter on Thursday requesting oversight probes from the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel. The lawmakers asked the agencies to examine the production and distribution funding used by the Executive Office of the President, along with potential violations of the Hatch Act. Their request follows disclosures that the Department of Homeland Security transferred $20 million originally allocated to Customs and Border Protection to finance the nationwide broadcast campaign. Democratic Senators Patty Murray and Chris Murphy had previously written to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday demanding an immediate halt to the broadcasts. Legal specialists, including former White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen, noted that federal regulations prohibit the expenditure of public taxpayer funds on partisan political messaging.

“These ads constitute an illegal use of taxpayer funds, perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that they are virtually identical to the ones Donald Trump used during his 2024 presidential campaign, and in fact use the same footage and the same inept ideological messaging.”

Broadcast content and distribution

The advertising campaign consists of multiple nationally broadcast spots airing across commercial television networks five weeks before the November midterm elections. AdImpact reported that the administration had spent at least $2.87 million across national broadcasts and regional markets, placing thousands of commercials on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and Fox News during NFL games and Sunday news programs. Two 30-second spots titled "The Country He Loves" and "Final Battle" denounce communism, socialism, and what the narration terms globalists and warmongers. A third one-minute ad broadcast on Wednesday night focuses on military strikes against Iran, featuring audio from Trump's 28 February address and statements from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Singer-songwriter JMSN issued a cease-and-desist notice over the unauthorized use of his song "Love Me" in one of the promotional clips.

Administration defense and regulatory response

President Donald Trump defended the broadcast campaign during an Oval Office press appearance on Wednesday, rejecting claims that the spots serve as campaign material. Trump stated that the videos represent an effort to promote the country rather than an individual candidacy. Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr stated that the agency found no reason to intervene or conduct a review of the broadcasts. Carr treated the spots as public service announcements, echoing the official White House position that the material is educational. White House representatives stated that the president is not on the ballot, arguing that the advertisements carry no explicit call to electoral action.

“When I'm talking about making America great, making our country great, that's a countrywide ad. That's an ad for the spirit of our country.”

Media access disputes and Capitol Hill reactions

The advertising purchases included airtime on CNN and MS NOW even as the administration maintained efforts to restrict both outlets from White House premises. AdImpact tracked 38 ad airings on MS NOW and 10 on CNN across local media markets including Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Albany. A federal judge previously paused White House access restrictions against CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, though the administration still barred CNN from Air Force One travel. Reaction on Capitol Hill produced varying responses, with Republican Senator Thom Tillis comparing the style of the advertisements to messaging from former Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed agreement with the message of one advertisement, while Democratic lawmakers continued their push for formal accounting reviews.

MS NOW38

CNN10

MS NOW

38 ads

CNN

10 ads

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