Democratic lawmakers and critics of President Donald Trump are sounding the alarm over his new ad that says its anti-socialist message ahead of the midterm elections was paid for by the U.S. government.
“This may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said, citing the U.S. Code. “It is a Hatch Act violation for any government employees who worked on it or used government resources to make it. It is blatantly unethical under numerous federal ethics provisions proscribing the use of government resources for political campaigns.”
The advertisement is a 30-second video that aired on Fox News with the writing “Paid for by the U.S. Government” while showing images of Trump and text features seemingly pointing to accomplishments during his presidency. The ad’s text says “Largest tax cuts in history,” “Reigniting American manufacturing,” and “Defend law and order and police,” in between flashes of imagery of Trump with overlaid text that says “America will never be a communist country.”
“Together we will defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism in America,” a voice-over of Trump says during the video. “America will never be a communist country.”
The ad also includes a voice-over from UFC CEO Dana White, where he says, referring to Trump, “He is the toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met, and nothing is going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves.”
The advertisement, which aired on Wednesday, does not include any reference to political activities or voting, which the Hatch Act regulates against using federal dollars for. A White House official told the Washington Examiner that the ad is “clearly not political” and does not “have a call to action,” adding that Trump’s name is not on the ballot this year.
“These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”
However, it is still raising alarm bells among some Democrats due to its funding from the U.S. government. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) wrote a letter to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles asking for more information on how the advertisement was funded and produced, according to the New York Times.
“The advertisement raises deep concerns about the Trump Administration’s use of taxpayer dollars and its compliance with federal laws that prohibit the use of appropriated funds for the promotion of a political party or candidate,” Hassan wrote in the letter.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also spoke about the ad on Thursday, calling the use of taxpayer dollars for the ad a move that “feels like Viktor Orban” and “inappropriate.”
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The Trump administration has come under fire in the past for its use of taxpayer dollars to create television advertisements promoting aspects of the federal government’s policies. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had been ridiculed by lawmakers for a costly $220 million ad featuring her on horseback warning against immigrating to the United States illegally.
Other administrations have also run TV advertisements funded by the government before. Former President Joe Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services ran $911 million worth of messaging on COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the New York Post.
David Zimmermann contributed to this report.