Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has asked the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission to order broadcasters to stop running Trump commercials paid for by the US government. In a complaint, the group argues the ads violate federal laws against using taxpayer funds for propaganda and restricting political activity by government employees.
The most recent ad, titled "The Final Battle," is a copy of a spot Trump's campaign committee ran in 2024, with the only difference being that the US government now pays for it. Department of Homeland Security funds are being used, and Senate Democrats say $20 million has been dedicated to the effort, with over $1.7 million already spent on airing the ads.
The White House defends the commercials as public service announcements meant to remind Americans to love their country. Public Citizen disagrees, noting the ads do not refer to any specific government program and instead appear designed to boost Trump's image ahead of the midterm elections. Broadcasters may be reluctant to pull the ads given FCC pressure, and the equal-time rule does not protect them because Trump is not currently a candidate. The FCC and FTC have not yet commented on the complaint.