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By Andrew Stanton
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Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said advertisements promoting President Donald Trump should not be funded by taxpayer dollars, joining a chorus of other Republicans who have spoken out against the administration over the ads supporting the president's agenda ahead of the midterm elections.
The White House has aired three advertisements touting his policies ahead of the midterms. One advertisement features Trump critiquing communism as the song "Love Me" by JMSN plays in the background, ending with UFC CEO Dana White calling Trump the "toughest, most resilient person that I've ever met."
Another features Trump discussing campaign pledges to "demolish the deep state" and expel "the warmongers from our government," while a third advertisement features Trump discussing the nation’s "golden age of America" while showing him speaking at Mount Rushmore.
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The advertisements, which the White House has described as public-service announcements, have drawn bipartisan scrutiny, with critics questioning whether they constitute a reasonable use of taxpayer dollars. Spending on the first ad has reached at least $443,000.
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They put Trump front and center on TV just weeks ahead of the midterms, which have become a referendum on his administration.
Polls have shown the president's approval ratings sliding amid concerns over the economy, cost of living and surging gas prices. Democrats are banking on Trump’s unpopularity helping them retake control of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Senator Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat, on Tuesday pushed a resolution opposing Trump’s advertisements, but Senate Republicans ultimately blocked it.
“On televisions across the country right now, people are being inundated with all kinds of political ads, but the ending of these ads is unlike any other,” Hassan said on the Senate floor. “If someone's watching this ad, right at the end, on the bottom of the screen, you find out that this publicity stunt isn't paid for by President Trump or one of his PACs or even one of his billionaire friends. No, this ad is paid for by you, the American taxpayer.”
Senator Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, responded to the resolution by saying the ad is a “reminder that freedom beats communism and socialism.”
“If that is what has the senator from New Hampshire concerned, I’d suggest the concern says more about her side of the aisle than it does about the PSA,” she said.
Republicans Speaking Out Against Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads
Several Republicans have broken from Trump over the advertisements.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune
Thune, who represents South Dakota, told reporters Monday that he believes the advertisement should not be funded with taxpayer dollars, becoming the highest-ranking elected official to break from the Trump administration over the issue.
"It’s a great message. I like the message. But it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars," he said, according to Politico.
Senator Mike Rounds
Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, told MS NOW the ads are “not something that I would’ve done.”
Senator John Cornyn
Cornyn, the Texas Republican who lost his primary to Trump-backed Attorney General Ken Paxton, told The Hill he does not agree with using taxpayer funds for the commercials.
"We all know you’re not supposed to use taxpayer money for that purpose," he said.
Senator John Kennedy
Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, told CBS News’ Face the Nation that he disagrees with the advertisements on Sunday.
"I don't think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves," he said. "Now, the White House sees it differently, but I think there ought to be a rule that you can't—well, there probably is a rule—you can't spend public money to promote yourself."
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Representative Thomas Massie
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has often spoken out against Trump, compared the advertisements to something that would be seen in a banana republic.
"Don’t worry, using taxpayer dollars to run ominous campaign ads of the President has been done before and is completely legal…in banana republics," he wrote.
Senator Thom Tillis
Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who chose not to run for reelection, told reporters the advertisements are "inappropriate," The Hill reported.
"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 [former Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán," he said.
Other Prominent Conservatives
Former Representative Justin Amash, who served in Congress as a Republican but has left the party, wrote in a post on X, "A taxpayer-funded propaganda TV spot. This is the most shameless administration of our lifetime."
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson said the ads are "not a public good" and constitute a "waste of taxpayer dollars" in a post on X.
Michael Steele, the former chair of the RNC, also condemned the ads.
"This is a political Ad produced by the Federal Government. It was paid for with your tax dollars. It is propaganda. This should never happen because it is illegal, unethical and politically tone deaf," he wrote.
White House Responds
A White House spokesperson responded to the criticism of the advertisements in a statement to Newsweek on Monday.
"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 ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country," the spokesperson said.
How Trump Ads Could Shape Midterms
Robert Y. Shapiro, a professor of political science at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, told Newsweek that voters who are not already supportive of Trump "will see this as more to do with political advertising and not the public service of the president."
"Given all the larger factors hurting Trump and the Republicans in the upcoming election, any effect of this will be marginal," he said.
Shapiro said it could engage some of Trump’s voters who are not already actively paying attention to the midterms, but it could also do the same for voters who dislike him by reminding them of their disapproval.
Presidents have run public service announcements before. During the Biden administration, for example, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ran an advertisement promoting the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, past PSAs like that tend to be more focused on a specific policy or cause, rather than promoting the image of a president.
Federal agencies may use taxpayer funds for public-service announcements when the spending serves an authorized government purpose. Federal appropriations law, including the purpose statute, generally bars agencies from using funds for unauthorized publicity or propaganda, particularly communications that promote partisan interests or seek to influence legislation.
The Hatch Act separately restricts political activity by covered federal employees. Critics argue some adverts cross these boundaries by promoting political interests rather than simply informing the public about government programs or policies.
Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, said Monday on CNN that the advertisements constitute ethics violations, but that the more Republicans put Trump on TV, the “happier” he is.
“Go spend as much money as you want putting Donald Trump on TV. Please put him on TV all over America. Please have him talk about how he's still committed to the Iran war and how gas prices are going up and diesel is going up, but he doesn't care. He’s going to finish the war. I'd love for him to spend all his money promoting himself,” he said.
How Popular Is Donald Trump?
Trump’s approval rating reached new lows in some recent polls. A survey from American Research Poll published last week found his lowest approval rating yet: only 29 percent of respondents gave him positive marks, compared to 68 percent disapproving of his job performance.
It surveyed 1,100 adults from September 16 to September 20, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
His net approval rating stood at -19 points in the latest Emerson College poll, with 58 percent disapproving of him and 39 percent approving. It surveyed 1,000 likely voters from September 21 to 22, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
A poll from YouGov and The Economist found 35 percent of Americans approved of Trump, while 62 percent disapproved. It surveyed 1,401 registered voters from September 18 to September 21, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
Republicans Navigate Their Relationships With Trump
Republicans have begun to recalibrate their relationship with Trump ahead of the midterms, as the president’s approval rating has slipped amid ongoing frustration over the economy, cost of living and gas prices, potentially becoming a drag on the party in November.
Some Republicans, such as Representative Ashley Hinson, who is running for Senate in Iowa with Trump’s endorsement and Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers, called for an immediate end to the Iran war amid rising fuel prices due to disruptions in the global oil supply.
"Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran. We need to use every option at our disposal to provide some relief from high prices," Hinson wrote in a post on X.
Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, who is running for reelection in a Miami-area district that zoomed rightward over the past decade, said in a recent video on X that the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts "have gone too far."
"You can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism. I'm not talking about giving them amnesty. I'm talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land," she said.
Representative Byron Donalds, who is running for governor in Florida, has removed references to Trump from his campaign website.
His campaign said the changes reflected Donalds’ "focus on the issues that matter most to Floridians—affordability, insurance costs, and government transparency." Trump also described it as a "fake story" in a post on X.
"If Florida thought the story that Byron ‘dropped’ me was true, he would lose the Election, and that would be a terrible thing because he’s going to be a fantastic Governor!" he wrote.
What Happens Next
The midterms are just over five weeks away, and Trump’s popularity will likely be a major factor in how candidates campaign and message voters in the next stretch of election season.
Issues such as the economy and the Iran war will also be critical.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant, James Debens, Sam Wilson.
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