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Tell Congress: Stop Trump's Taxpayer-Funded Propaganda
Trump is running TV ads that praise himself, and you're paying for them.
This week, a 30-second ad ran on Fox News and Newsmax during conservative shows including Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, and Gutfeld! It flashes images of Trump while a singer repeats "Love me" over and over. It ends with UFC chief Dana White calling Trump "the toughest, most resilient person" he's ever met. Then comes the disclaimer: "Paid for by the US government."
A CBS News Miami reporter who spotted it called it "clearly a campaign ad." He's right, and it aired just weeks before the midterms. The White House calls it one of its "public service announcements," which means more are likely coming.
This is more than just tacky. It's likely illegal.
For decades, the Government Accountability Office has read federal spending law to bar the executive branch from using public money for "self-aggrandizement," "puffery," or "purely partisan" messages. Rep. Jamie Raskin says government employees working on the video would violate the Hatch Act. The White House insists the ad is "educational." But it's hard to imagine anything less educational than a government-paid ad singing "Love me" over images of the president on national TV.
Meanwhile, Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. Even after a federal judge ordered their access restored, some reporters were still turned away. Now the White House has launched its own streaming channel, "Trump TV." Shut out the independent press, then pay for airtime to praise the president: that's how state media works.
We still don't know which part of the government paid for this ad or how many more are planned. But Congress has the power to find out. Any member can ask the GAO for a formal legal ruling. Then, Congress must ensure that not one more dime is spent on similar ads.
Thanks for all that you do,
Matt from the Swarm