A new TV ad that’s reportedly airing nationally just in time for the midterm elections shows President Trump making a 2026 campaign pitch: “Together we will defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism in America,” Trump says in the 30-second spot. “America will never be a communist country." The ad goes on to highlight the Republican tax cuts and Trump’s promises to rebuild U.S. manufacturing and defend “law and order.”
It’s pretty standard fare for a Republican election ad this cycle, only Trump isn’t on the ballot this year and the commercial doesn’t mention any other candidates — oh, and the fine print at the end of the spot says, “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
The government has reportedly spent $14,000 so far to run the ad, according to CNN, which cites data from AdImpact, a media tracking service. The spot reportedly started airing Wednesday on right-wing shows on Fox News and Newsmax. A 15-second version of the ad was posted to the White House channel on YouTube 11 days ago.
It’s not clear what part of the government paid for the ad, but the White House reportedly defended the spot in a statement to news outlets that described it as part of “public service announcements” to boost national pride.
“The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement cited by CNN. “We should be proud of our country.”
The ad’s clips of Trump are set against a soundtrack featuring a song titled “Love Me,” in which those two words are repeated over and over for maximum subliminal impact. But JMSN, the artist behind the song, was less than proud to have his music in the video. In a post on X, he wrote that he would never authorize his music to be used for any political agenda or campaign and that the song was used without permission. “I am looking at lawyers and handling this internally,” he wrote.
Democratic lawmakers are pressing for more information about the ad and warning that it may violate the law.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a post on X that the ad “may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes.” He added that any government employees who worked on it or used federal resources to make it violated the Hatch Act and federal ethics provisions.
Another Democrat, Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, sent a letter Thursday to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles requesting details about the cost of producing and airing the ad, the source of the funds, and the federal agencies, officials and contractors involved in making it.
“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, adding, “The advertisement does not have a clear official government purpose and appears to run afoul of federal prohibitions against the use of appropriated funds as part of ‘a general propaganda effort designed to aid a political party or candidates’.”