Create account

Gone quiet · last update Oct 11, 2026 / Donald Trump

The taxpayer-funded government ads featuring Trump before the midterms

Overview · reviewed October 21, 2026

In the weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, the Trump administration aired taxpayer-funded TV ads prominently featuring President Donald Trump. Democrats called them illegal propaganda, and the White House called them public service announcements.[1][2] After the backlash, Trump said his would pay for such ads going forward but would not repay the money already spent.[3] In October, a judge ordered the administration to cancel the ads.[4]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

After the backlash, Trump said his would pay for such ads going forward but would not repay the money already spent.[3] In October, a judge ordered the administration to cancel the ads.[4]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 8%, 38 of 479 tracked outlets (14 left, 22 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 16%, 76 of 476 tracked outlets (28 left, 32 center, 16 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 13%, 62 of 479 tracked outlets (20 left, 31 center, 11 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): 11%, 51 of 476 tracked outlets (15 left, 29 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 9 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (4 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 12, 20261529751 of 47611%
Oct 5, 202620311162 of 47913%
Sep 28, 202628321676 of 47616%
Sep 21, 20261422238 of 4798%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 11, 2026 · first reported · Headline from UPI

    Judge extends block on Trump’s ‘paid for by U.S. government’ ads

Background

The Department of Homeland Security tapped $20 million for campaign-style ads promoting Trump, and Trump personally chose which government-funded ads aired, Axios reported.[1] The White House insisted the spots were public service announcements, while Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer, said using taxpayer money this way could be "an impeachable offense."[2] The ads ran on Fox News and Newsmax and then on CNN and MS NOW, networks the president has tried to keep from covering the White House,[5] and a new spot praised the Iran war.[6]

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

The recording artist behind a song in one ad demanded that the White House stop using his music, and a watchdog group asked federal regulators to pull the ads.[7] FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said they raised no red flags.[8] Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming blocked a Democratic resolution condemning them, arguing that they were no different from public service announcements by past administrations,[9] and Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, asked government watchdogs to investigate.[10] In a Reuters/Ipsos poll, nearly nine in 10 respondents, including 80% of Republicans, said taxpayer-funded ads featuring the president around an election were inappropriate.[11] Trump then said his super PAC would cover such ads from now on, though not the federal money already spent.[3]

The dispute went to court. On October 7, the Democratic National Committee sued the administration over the ads, alleging illegal government propaganda.[12] A judge ordered the administration to cancel the ads, which had cost $19 million in taxpayer money, and two aired after the court's deadline.[4]

Supporting stories (12)
  1. Experts Question the White House’s Defense of Taxpayer-Funded Ads
  2. Taxpayer-funded ads could be 'impeachable offense': Former White House ethics attorney
  3. Trump's PAC won't pay taxpayers back for his ads
  4. Taxpayer-funded Trump TV ads continued to air after judge ordered halt
  5. Trump Administration To Buy Ads On MS NOW
  6. White House Premieres a New Taxpayer-Funded Ad Lauding the Iran War
  7. New Trump ads draw complaints
  8. FCC chair says government ads featuring Trump do not raise concerns
  9. GOP senator blocks resolution that criticized Trump’s taxpayer-funded ads
  10. Top House Judiciary Democrat Asks Watchdogs to Probe Trump Ads
  11. Most oppose taxpayer-funded ads
  12. DNC sues Trump administration, alleging taxpayer-funded ads violate propaganda law

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 17 recorded updates

October 2026

  1. Taxpayer-funded Trump TV ads continued to air after judge ordered haltHeadline from Courthouse News Service · 60 outlets
  2. DNC sues Trump administration, alleging taxpayer-funded ads violate propaganda lawHeadline from KAAL Rochester · 34 outlets
  3. Trump does not plan to reimburse government for taxpayer-funded adsHeadline from Billings Gazette · 12 outlets
  4. Most oppose taxpayer-funded adsHeadline from Billings Gazette · 5 outlets
  5. Transcript: Trump TV Ads Backfire as Poll Shows He’s Shockingly ToxicHeadline from The New Republic · 1 outlet
  6. Top House Judiciary Democrat Asks Watchdogs to Probe Trump AdsHeadline from Bloomberg · 3 outlets
  7. Trump Administration To Buy Ads On MS NOWHeadline from Forbes · 3 outlets

September 2026

  1. White House Premieres a New Taxpayer-Funded Ad Lauding the Iran WarHeadline from NOTUS · 2 outlets
  2. FCC chair says government ads featuring Trump do not raise concernsHeadline from Hawaiitribune Herald · 3 outlets
  3. Port: Taxpayer funded ads are wrong, and it doesn't matter who is doing itHeadline from The Jamestown Sun · 4 outlets
  4. GOP senator blocks resolution that criticized Trump’s taxpayer-funded adsHeadline from KESQ Palm Springs · 13 outlets
  5. New Trump ads draw complaintsHeadline from Bismarck Tribune · 3 outlets
  6. Trump's PAC won't pay taxpayers back for his adsHeadline from Axios · 55 outlets
  7. Virginia lawmakers react to 'taxpayer-funded advertisements that glorify President Donald Trump'Headline from WRIC Richmond · 1 outlet
  8. Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on taxpayer funds used for TV ads promoting TrumpHeadline from PBS NewsHour · 2 outlets
  9. Taxpayer-funded ads could be 'impeachable offense': Former White House ethics attorneyHeadline from Phl17 · 9 outlets
  10. Experts Question the White House’s Defense of Taxpayer-Funded AdsHeadline from FactCheck.org · 73 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →