The Trump administration has been airing television advertisements that celebrate what it describes as a "golden age of America," with one ad showing a choir singing over a montage of Trump declaring the US will "never be a communist country," another using images of Mount Rushmore, and a third showing Trump walking towards the camera in black and white, warning of a "final battle" against the "deep state." All three ads end with a disclaimer saying they were "Paid for by the U.S. Government."
The advertisements have cost taxpayers at least $1.4 million, according to media tracking firm AdImpact, and have aired during high-viewership programming such as NFL games and on streaming services.
President Trump has said he will stop using taxpayer money to fund the advertisements, stating he will instead pay for them himself and with money raised by his political action committee, MAGA Inc. However, it remains unclear whether he will reimburse taxpayers for ads that have already aired. The White House said on Tuesday that the president would only pay for future advertisements, but Trump later appeared to leave the door open to reimbursing the government, telling reporters: "The ads were really good. They were promotion for the country, done by many presidents before. So, we'll decide."
Democratic lawmakers have criticised the use of public funds for what they see as electioneering, while the poll indicates that even a large majority of Republicans oppose the practice. The controversy comes at a politically sensitive time, with midterm elections just weeks away.