White House Spending Taxpayer Dollars for Propaganda Purposes
Violations of 5 U.S.C. §3107 and related laws prohibiting the use of government resources for propaganda purpose, and 5 U.S.C. §7324 (Hatch Act) by the White House staff of President Donald Trump
By Craig Holman, Ph.D.
Dear Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Office of Special Counsel (OSC):
A television ad boosting the image of President Donald Trump paid for by government funds is airing in two media markets. Both markets are key districts in the upcoming midterm elections. The ads include a disclaimer: “Paid for by the U.S. government.”
Given that the content of the advertisement does not discuss specific government actions, but are just touting the campaign rhetoric of Donald Trump and promoting his character, the ad appears to violate both federal laws prohibiting the use of government expenditures for propaganda purposes (5 U.S.C. §3107 and related appropriations laws) and the Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. §7324). GSA is responsible for overseeing violations of the first law and OSC is responsible for overseeing violations of the Hatch Act.
Whether or not President Trump was personally involved in the ad, it was conceived, produced and distributed by Trump’s White House staff.
Nature of the Ad
The ad was first reported by CBS News Miami reporter, Jim Defede, who saw it aired on September 23, 2026. The 30-second spot does not try to educate the public about government actions or government decisions. In fact, it makes only fleeting reference to any governmental activity. Instead, the focus is on Trump’s campaign rhetoric and images and voiceovers promoting the character of Donald Trump.
The ad kicks off with Trump railing against communism, a theme that he is emphasizing on the campaign trail for the upcoming midterm elections. “Together we will defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism, in America,” Trump proudly proclaims. “America will never be a communist country.”
The video goes on to briefly establish in general terms what Trump has done for the American people: the “largest tax cuts in history,” “reigniting American manufacturing,” and “defend law and order and police.” Then it quickly turns to gushing praise for the President: “He is the toughest, most resilient person that I ‘ve ever met,” Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White asserts about Trump. “And nothing is going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves.” The soundtrack is interspersed with a chorus of women singing, “I’ll make them love me.”
Complaints About the Ad
Jim Defede, who first reported about the ad, observed the taxpayer-funded video as “clearly a campaign ad.”
Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post notes that the ad is very “similar to spots” released earlier by the nonprofit arm of Trump’s political organization to promote Trump’s record in the midterms elections.
Ever since the 1950s, annual appropriations measures – including the appropriations measure signed recently by Trump – prohibit spending taxpayer dollars for “publicity or propaganda” purposes. And GAO has confirmed this by laying out the prohibition as applying to “purely partisan” messages and “propaganda” devoid of a useful government function. These annual appropriations provisions have also been codified into long-standing law (5 U.S.C. §3107). Even though Donald Trump is not a candidate himself, he has repeatedly hit the campaign trail pleading with his constituents to vote as if he were on the ballot. He is hard on the road promoting Republican candidates in the midterms. This ad appears to be simple propaganda devoid of a useful government function designed to influence the upcoming elections in violation of these laws.
Furthermore, the ad was conceived, produced and distributed by White House staff using government resources for partisan purposes. Though the Hatch Act does not apply to the president, it does apply to White House staff. Therefore, Public Citizen is also filing this complaint with the Office of Special Counsel as a violation of the Hatch Act by White House staff.
Public Citizen has filed a dozen Hatch Act complaints with OSC over the past year and, to our knowledge, all have been ignored by the agency. In choosing not to enforce the law, OSC has cleared the way for on-going violations of the Hatch Act, as we are witnessing today.
Conclusion: It Is Time to Enforce the Law
The TV ad boosting the image and character of Donald Trump as well as reiterating Trump’s campaign rhetoric, paid for by taxpayer dollars, and produced and distributed by Trump’s White House staff, appears to be a clear violation of the laws prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars for propaganda purpose as well as a violation of the Hatch Act. Public Citizen is filing this complaint seeking appropriate investigation and enforcement actions by the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel.
Sincerely,
| Robert Weissman Co-President Public Citizen 1600 20th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 588-1000 |
Lisa Gilbert Co-President Public Citizen 1600 20th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 588-1000 |
Craig Holman, Ph.D. Government affairs lobbyist Public Citizen 215 Pennsylvania Ave, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 454-5187 |