President Donald Trump is airing a campaign ad boasting about his accomplishments just weeks ahead of the midterm elections. But one line has stunned viewers.
The ad starts with Trump saying, “Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America.”
The president continues as images of him flash across the screen, “America will never be a communist country,” as a song by JMSN, “Love Me,” plays over and over.
The commercial boasts that Trump is behind “the largest tax cuts in history.” It credits him with “reigniting American manufacturing” and claims he “defend[s] law and order and police.”
The president and CEO of the UFC, Dana White does a voice over in the ad saying, “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.”
But it’s the last line that has Democrats and even Republicans up in arms: “Paid for the US Government.”
The ad cost $14,000 and has been running on the right-wing networks Fox and Newsmax since Sept. 23, according to The Associated Press.
What Trump is calling the clearly political ad has many raising an eyebrow, too.
In a statement, the White House claimed it’s a “public service announcement” and that it’s “educational and unapologetically patriotic.”
“These 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 statement continued.
Social media erupted in protest, with people wondering whether the commercial is even legal.
“Is this not illegal?” an X user wondered. X poster Diane McKenna pointed out, “So basically the taxpayer footed the bill for this.”
Another X user had a different idea. “This ad is blatant THEFT of government funds for electoral propaganda. Bill Mr. Trump and prosecute him!”
This poster used a longtime mantra Trump and his MAGA movement employed during his first run for president against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Instead of “lock her up,” they wrote, “Lock him up!”
In a post on X, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin says the ad violates the Hatch Act.
“This may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes,” the Democrat wrote.
“It is a Hatch Act violation for any government employees who worked on it or used government resources to make it,” he continued.
“It is blatantly unethical under numerous federal ethics provisions proscribing the use of government resources for political campaigns,” he added.
Raskin could chair the powerful House Judiciary Committee if Democrats retake the House in November.
Republicans weren’t happy about it either.
Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy told the AP he doesn’t “like to see politicians use public money to pay for their own campaign ads.”
They aren’t the only ones unhappy with the ad. The song “Love Me” Trump used under the ad is by JMSN, whose real name is Christian Berishaj. He says he never authorized the use of the song, according to The Hill.
He posted about his displeasure on X. “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.”
