Donald Trump’s 30-second video aired during NFL broadcasts Sunday, vowing a “final battle” against communists, the deep state and “fake news.” Its “Paid for by the U.S. Government” tagline drew criticism; the White House called it a patriotic public-service announcement.
Democrats have challenged similar videos as misuse of public money. Public Citizen complained to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel about two earlier Trump videos. Congressional Democrats separately urged the White House to withdraw a previous video, alleging it violated a 2026 spending law barring federal funds from supporting propaganda and other ethics rules.
The White House argued the videos are not political because Trump is not on the midterm ballot. At a Texas event, he urged supporters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.” The video aired five weeks before congressional elections; the article says that if Democrats win congressional majorities, the ads could face oversight and investigations.
