Democrats urge GAO and special counsel to probe taxpayer-funded Trump ads

Two Democratic members of the House, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rep. George Whitesides of California, have written to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel requesting investigations into television commercials that were paid for with federal money and aired in September promoting President Donald Trump. The ads, which featured repeated slogans and endorsements from public figures, included fine-print disclosures stating they were funded by the U.S. government.

Raskin and Whitesides argue the advertisements may breach several statutes, including provisions of the recent spending act that prohibit the use of funds for "publicity or propaganda," the Anti-Deficiency Act, federal criminal statutes on misuse of public money, and the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by executive-branch employees. They asked the GAO to determine the source and total amount of the funds and to issue a legal opinion, and asked the OSC to identify any individuals responsible.

The lawmakers contend the ads resemble campaign material rather than public-service announcements, noting that one spot credited President Trump with reviving manufacturing despite reports of job losses during his second term. They also dispute the White House’s claim that the ads are non-political because the president is not listed on the ballot.

A White House spokesperson described the spots as "educational and unapologetically patriotic," while President Trump said he would "gladly pay the money" if the ads were deemed improper. Some Republican officials, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and several senators, have also expressed concerns about the use of public funds, whereas FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the advertisements were appropriate.