Pro-Trump TV ad funded by government draws fire from both sides

Democrats and some Republicans are criticizing an ad from the Trump administration paid for by the U.S. government that pushes back against communism, socialism and Marxism in the U.S. just weeks before the midterm elections.

The 30-second commercial features Trump’s voice, saying, “Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America,” and, “America will never be a communist country.” The song “Love Me” by JMSN, whose name is Christian Berishaj, plays in the background.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said the ad violated the Hatch Act.

“This may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes,” he wrote on the social platform X. “It is a Hatch Act violation for any government employees who worked on it or used government resources to make it.

“It is blatantly unethical under numerous federal ethics provisions proscribing the use of government resources for political campaigns,” he continued.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said the ad is “inappropriate” and compared it to something Viktor Orbán, the right-wing Hungarian former prime minister, would do.

“It’s not like they need a GoFundMe page to have the dollars to do that sort of ad and they could do it. But using taxpayer dollars, it feels like Viktor Orbán,” Tillis told reporters.

Trump is not on the ballot in the November elections. The ad does not explicitly urge viewers to vote for any political candidates.

The White House defended the ad, saying the “PSAs are clearly not political.”

“The president is not on the ballot and the ads don’t have a call to action,” a White House official said.

In the ad, photos and videos of the president quickly flash by, touting the “largest tax cuts in history,” along with “reigniting American manufacturing” and “defend law and order and police.”

UFC President and CEO Dana White’s voice also says, “He’s the toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met, and nothing was going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves.”

At the end, it says “paid for by the U.S. Government” at the bottom of the screen.

Outlets reported that AdImpact said the advertisement cost $14,000 and ran during conservative shows on Fox News and Newsmax starting Wednesday night.

The Associated Press reported that Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said he hadn’t seen the ad but that he doesn’t “like to see politicians use public money to pay for their own campaign ads.”

A White House spokesperson said the “public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad.”

“The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic,” the spokesperson said. “We should be proud of our country.”

Berishaj pushed back on the use of his song Thursday, saying he never authorized its use.

“To anybody who has followed my career and knows what I stand for and built my career on, it should go without saying that I would never authorize my music to be used for ANY political agenda or campaign,” he wrote on X.

“I’ve built my career independently outside of any major system and have made it a point to not sacrifice my artistic integrity,” he continued. “I don’t have a publicist or anything so being forced in a situation like this and having to comment is ridiculous. I am looking at lawyers and handling this internally.”