Tell Congress: Make Trump Pay Us Back for Propaganda Ads

Trump ran TV ads that praised himself, and you paid $10 million for them.

The first was a 30-second ad ran on Fox News and Newsmax during conservative shows including Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, and Gutfeld! It flashed images of Trump while a singer repeats "Love me" over and over. It ended with UFC chief Dana White calling Trump "the toughest, most resilient person" he's ever met. Then comes the disclaimer: "Paid for by the US government."

A CBS News Miami reporter who spotted it called it "clearly a campaign ad." He's right, and it aired just weeks before the midterms. The White House calls it one of its "public service announcements," which means more are likely coming.

After backlash, President Trump has said he and his super PAC will pay for the ads, but his staff said this only applies to future spending. And they still haven't explained the role of federal employees in producing them.

Tell Congress: Demand Trump pay us back for taxpayer-funded propaganda. Sign now.

This is more than just tacky. It's likely illegal.

For decades, the Government Accountability Office has read federal spending law to bar the executive branch from using public money for "self-aggrandizement," "puffery," or "purely partisan" messages. Rep. Jamie Raskin says government employees working on the video would violate the Hatch Act. The White House insists the ads are "educational." But it's hard to imagine anything less educational than a government-paid ad singing "Love me" over images of the president on national TV.

Meanwhile, Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. Even after a federal judge ordered their access restored, some reporters were still turned away. Now the White House has launched its own streaming channel, "Trump TV." Shut out the independent press, then pay for airtime to praise the president: that's how state media works.

Congress must ensure that this never happens again. Any member can ask the GAO for a formal legal ruling. Then, Congress must ensure that Trump pay us back and that not one more dime is spent on similar ads.

Add your name to tell Congress your tax dollars shouldn't pay for Trump's propaganda.

The petition to Congress reads:

"Demand that Trump reimburse us for taxpayer-funded ads promoting the president and disclose which agency paid for the ad and how many more are planned. Request a formal GAO ruling on whether it broke the law, and block any taxpayer funding for future partisan ads before the election."