Los Angeles Times Opinion
Tue, September 29, 2026
President Trump at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
To the editor: The Trump administration appears to have forgotten that the U.S. Treasury is not a limitless money pot to spend on anything it pleases. It is at best unethical to use the weight of the federal government to support a political campaign, and it may be illegal too ("Call it propaganda or a PSA, Trump's latest ad blitz is paid for by you," Sept. 26). Would anyone in the Trump administration approve of a theoretical Newsom administration using our tax money in this way? I think not — it would rightly be called corrupt and problematic.
If this qualifies as an apolitical "public service announcement" just because President Trump is not on the ballot, then I suppose no issue advocacy ads are political, either, even though we can always discern which party they are intended to support.
Mr. President, it is a dangerous game to play the American people for fools (and to waste their money), especially when your majority is on the line in November. You can start to make amends by pulling this ad off the air and doing one of the things you do best — firing the person who came up with this abysmal idea.
Charlie Henry, Palm Desert
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
US FCC chair says government ads featuring Trump do not raise concerns
REUTERS
Wed, September 30, 2026
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The chair of the US Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday that taxpayer-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump are not improper and do not raise any red flags.
Democratic lawmakers said the White House transferred $20 million in Homeland Security Department funds to air the ads, including one that closely resembles a 2024 Trump campaign ad.
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"There's nothing in there that strikes me to merit any sort of FCC review or any liability for any broadcaster for running a regular, normal (public service announcement)," said FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican who was named head of the agency by Trump in January 2025.
Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticized the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a "golden age of America" and are airing five weeks before midterm elections.
Trump defended the ads on Wednesday. "I'm not running for office," he said. "If somebody said that that's wrong, I'll gladly pay the money. But, but these are ads for the country. ... I'm not promoting a candidate. I'm not promoting myself because I'm not running for office."
Lawmakers have questioned whether public funds are being used to promote Trump politically, while other critics say the spots may violate longstanding restrictions on government propaganda and political activity.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr listens to a reporter's question during a press conference, following an open meeting of the FCC, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File PhotoMore
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, criticized the ads. "This administration has launched an aggressive effort to influence the outcome of the midterm elections," Gomez said.
Public Citizen filed a complaint with the FCC arguing the spots are campaign advertisements that should not be produced or distributed with taxpayer resources.
One ad features Trump declaring that "America will never be a communist country" while a chorus repeats the words "love me." Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump praising a "golden age of America."
A third describes a "final battle" against the "deep state" and closely resembles one of Trump's 2024 campaign advertisements.
The ads end with a disclaimer saying they were paid for by the US government.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gaffen and Sanjeev Miglani)
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The chair of the US Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday that taxpayer-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump are not improper and do not raise any red flags.
Democratic lawmakers said the White House transferred $20 million in Homeland Security Department funds to air the ads, including one that closely resembles a 2024 Trump campaign ad.
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"There's nothing in there that strikes me to merit any sort of FCC review or any liability for any broadcaster for running a regular, normal (public service announcement)," said FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican who was named head of the agency by Trump in January 2025.
Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticized the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a "golden age of America" and are airing five weeks before midterm elections.
Trump defended the ads on Wednesday. "I'm not running for office," he said. "If somebody said that that's wrong, I'll gladly pay the money. But, but these are ads for the country. ... I'm not promoting a candidate. I'm not promoting myself because I'm not running for office."
Lawmakers have questioned whether public funds are being used to promote Trump politically, while other critics say the spots may violate longstanding restrictions on government propaganda and political activity.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr listens to a reporter's question during a press conference, following an open meeting of the FCC, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File PhotoMore
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, criticized the ads. "This administration has launched an aggressive effort to influence the outcome of the midterm elections," Gomez said.
Public Citizen filed a complaint with the FCC arguing the spots are campaign advertisements that should not be produced or distributed with taxpayer resources.
One ad features Trump declaring that "America will never be a communist country" while a chorus repeats the words "love me." Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump praising a "golden age of America."
A third describes a "final battle" against the "deep state" and closely resembles one of Trump's 2024 campaign advertisements.
The ads end with a disclaimer saying they were paid for by the US government.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gaffen and Sanjeev Miglani)
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