Homeland Security has committed $20 million to campaign-style ads promoting Trump. Democrats say the spending likely violates federal law.
The Department of Homeland Security has committed $20 million in taxpayer funds to pay for campaign-style television advertisements glorifying President Donald Trump, spending that two senior Democratic senators say likely violates federal anti-propaganda law, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the funds were drawn from money Congress had designated for U.S. Customs and Border Protection under the tax and spending package Trump signed into law last summer.
The senators demanded that Mullin respond within 48 hours with details on the ad spending, including whether additional federal funds would be used to air new commercials and whether he had discussed the campaign with Trump directly. According to data from the advertising-tracking firm AdImpact, more than $2.5 million has been spent airing three ads over the past week on network and cable television and streaming platforms, including during college and NFL programming, though the actual total could be higher depending on how networks classified the spots. House Democrats said Trump’s budget director, Russ Vought, moved the funding from Homeland Security to the advertising campaign on Sept. 19.
The advertisements, which disclose they are paid for by the U.S. government, have drawn criticism from lawmakers in both parties. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina compared the ads to those used by Hungary’s Viktor Orban, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, also a Republican, said they should not be funded with taxpayer money. One recent ad, resembling footage from Trump’s 2024 campaign, shows him walking down a hallway while his voice warns of a “final battle” against “globalists” and “warmongers,” ending with an on-screen message stating it was paid for by the U.S. government. Experts cited by the AP said the spots differ from typical government public service announcements because they do not direct viewers to any specific program or service. The White House has defended the ads as legitimate public service announcements and has given no indication it plans to stop airing them.
House Democrats Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Henry Cuellar of Texas said the disclosure follows earlier cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under the same spending package, which also included a significant increase in funding for immigration enforcement and deportations. They said Democrats would investigate the spending if they regain control of Congress. The controversy comes as Trump’s own political operation, including the group MAGA Inc., holds substantial campaign funds that could be used ahead of the midterm elections without drawing on federal agency budgets.
Sources: This report is based on information from the Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour).