Trump administration uses taxpayer money to air 2024 Trump campaign ad

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is using taxpayer funds to air a television advertisement from Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign in the latest in a series of ads promoting the president ahead of the midterms that the White House maintains are "public service announcements."

The 30-second video, which is virtually identical to one that aired in 2024, shows Trump walking down a hallway as his voice can be heard warning of a "final battle" against "globalists" and "warmongers." The black-and-white video ends with Trump staring straight into the camera lens with a message that says: "Paid for by the U.S. Government." The 2024 iteration of the ad from the Trump campaign urged viewers to "Join President Trump's Fight for America."

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Lawmakers of both parties have criticized the new series of ads for their inherently political nature and the use of taxpayer dollars. The White House maintains they are like the ones used by past presidents, though those previous ads promoted particular policies, not Oval Office occupants.

Spending on the latest ad already topped about $319,000, according to AdImpact, which tracks media spending.

"With you at my side, we will demolish the 'deep state.' We will expel the war mongers from our government. We will drive out the globalists; we will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists," he says in the narration. "We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all."

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It's in addition to a minute-long ad that began airing Friday and features scenic videos of Mount Rushmore at night with quotes and clips from Trump's Fourth of July weekend speech there honoring the country's 250th anniversary. An earlier 30-second spot that began airing on Wednesday features clips of Trump talking about defeating communism interspersed with onscreen text promoting the "largest tax cuts in history," "reigniting American manufacturing" and a call to "defend law and order and police."

The White House in a statement on Friday defended the use of what it described as "public service announcements" and dismissed criticism of them as "deeply dishonest."

"The announcements are very clearly not campaign ads; President Trump is not on the ballot and there is no call to action," the White House said. "Instead, the announcements are a reminder for Americans to love their country and know why it's worth defending — at home, at the border, and abroad."

Examples cited by the White House include George W. Bush's administration airing a campaign about a Medicare law and the Biden administration running one about COVID-19 vaccinations.