The White House on Friday pushed back against criticism of a taxpayer-funded television campaign featuring President Trump that began airing just ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, insisting the spots are patriotic messaging rather than political advertising.
“The announcements are a reminder for Americans to love their country and know why it’s worth defending — at home, at the border, and abroad,” the White House said in a press release. “These public service announcements are unapologetically American, clearly disclosed, and aimed at the country — not a line on the ballot.”
The 30-second commercial includes Trump’s voice declaring, “Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America” and “America will never be a communist country.” The song “Love Me” by JMSN, the stage name of Christian Berishaj, plays in the background.
The ad also features 2024 remarks from UFC President Dana White, who describes Trump as “the toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met and nothing is going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country that he’s lost.” A disclaimer states: “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
The White House defended the campaign by pointing to past presidents who used similar publicly funded announcements to explain policy and promote a national direction. It cited former President Biden’s 2021 “We can do this” vaccine commercials, which encouraged Americans to get COVID-19 shots during the pandemic.
“The announcements are very clearly not campaign ads; President Trump is not on the ballot and there is no call to action,” the White House said. But Trump has endorsed a slate of candidates in the upcoming midterms and in August urged voters to “pretend” he is “on the ballot.” He used the same messaging tactic at a rally for Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) ahead of her runoff election.
According to the political media monitoring firm AdImpact, the Trump administration spent more than $400,000 to run the ads, the Associated Press reported. The spots are airing during primetime and morning shows on CBS and various Fox News programs. AdImpact also noted on social media that a separate Trump July 4th advertisement began airing Friday, featuring Trump narrating over a montage of images from Mount Rushmore.
The ad campaign comes as the White House has faced scrutiny over its use of government resources, including recent questions about media access during the Trump-Xi summit. Meanwhile, Trump has remained active on the international stage, recently approving patriot missile production licenses for Ukraine and preparing for a state dinner with China’s Xi Jinping.
Democrats have yet to respond formally to the ad campaign, but the timing and content are likely to fuel partisan tensions as the midterm elections approach. The White House maintains the ads are not campaign material, but the line between official communication and political messaging continues to blur.
