A recent advertisement broadcast on Fox News has ignited controversy after Democrats alleged it constituted an improper use of taxpayer dollars for political gain. The 30-second spot, which featured the disclaimer “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” aired multiple times overnight, according to data from the media monitoring firm TVEyes. The spot was initially identified by a CBS News reporter in Miami who observed it on Wednesday evening.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, strongly condemned the broadcast. In a post on X, Raskin suggested the ad might amount to criminal theft and conversion of government property. He further stated that any federal employees involved in creating or distributing the spot would be in violation of the Hatch Act, which limits the political activities of government workers.
“This is blatantly unethical under numerous federal ethics provisions proscribing the use of government resources for political campaigns,” Raskin wrote, adding that his committee would lead oversight efforts if Democrats regain control of the House.
In response to ABC News, the White House defended the advertisement as a non-political public service announcement. A spokesperson described the content as educational and patriotic, designed to remind citizens about the value of the nation. “The PSAs are clearly not political,” a White House official stated, noting that the President is on the ballot and the ads lack any direct call to action.
The Fox News broadcast appears identical to a video uploaded to the White House YouTube channel on September 13 under the title “America Will Never Be a Communist Country.” Unlike the television version, the online upload did not carry the government funding disclosure. The video features President Trump declaring, “Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America. America will never be a communist country,” accompanied by rapid images of the President and text highlighting policy achievements such as tax cuts and manufacturing initiatives. It also includes a clip of UFC CEO Dana White praising Trump’s resilience at the Republican National Convention.
Kevin Kosar, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of a 2014 Congressional Research Service report on the topic, told ABC News that the advertisement resembled puffery. He noted that while no single agency oversees department advertising budgets, appropriations bills strictly prohibit using public funds for unauthorized publicity or propaganda.
This incident echoes previous criticisms regarding a multimillion-dollar campaign led by the Department of Homeland Security under then-Secretary Kristi Noem. That effort, which encouraged “self-deportation,” cost $220 million in taxpayer funds. At the time, President Trump told NBC News he was not enthusiastic about the campaign, remarking, “I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president.”
Does the White House really think calling it a PSA changes the fact that it promotes their own agenda? Sounds like puffery to me.
I’m surprised this aired overnight. Most people wouldn’t watch Fox at 2 AM unless they were specifically looking for it.
The disclaimer says taxpayer-funded, but the message is pure campaign propaganda. This crosses a line.