Poll: 86% of Americans Oppose Taxpayer-Funded 'Golden Age' Ads

The administration of President Donald Trump has described the taxpayer-funded television ads as a way to stir patriotism, reminding Americans why they should love their country and why it is worth defending. But according to a new poll, most Americans disagree with how the money is being spent.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 86% of Americans, including four in five Republicans, consider the use of public funds for election-related television ads featuring President Trump or members of his cabinet inappropriate.

The results were released as Trump said he would stop using tax money to fund the ads. On Monday, he said he would pay for them himself and draw on additional money raised by MAGA Inc, his political action committee.

It remains unclear whether he will reimburse taxpayers for ads that have already aired. The White House said on Tuesday that the president would only pay for future ads, but Trump later appeared to leave open the possibility of refunding the government, telling reporters: “The ads are very good. They're promotions for the country, done by many presidents before. So, we'll decide.”

The Trump administration faces mounting criticism over a series of government-funded ads airing ahead of the November midterm elections that praise what they call “America's golden age.”

In one ad, a choir sings “love me” over montage images of Trump as he declares the US will “never be a communist country.” Another uses images of Mount Rushmore as Trump praises a “new golden age for America.” A third strikes a darker tone: Trump walks toward the camera in black-and-white footage, warning of a “final battle” against the “deep state” and those deemed enemies.

All three ads end with a disclaimer stating they were “Paid for by the United States Government.”

According to media tracking firm AdImpact, the ads have cost at least $1.4 million in taxpayer money and have aired on network and cable television, including during high-viewership programs such as NFL games, as well as on streaming services.

Democratic lawmakers say the White House diverted $20 million from the Department of Homeland Security's budget for the campaign and are calling for independent investigations.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticized the ads in a Senate speech, saying: “Americans sit down to watch football, not to be force-fed Trump propaganda with their own money.”

Criticism has also come from within Trump's own Republican Party.

“Taxpayer money should not be used to pay for this,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters last month.

The White House defends the ads as public-service messages, citing government-funded campaigns under previous administrations promoting Medicare, Affordable Care Act subsidies and COVID-19 vaccinations. The White House says Trump's ads are also meant to remind Americans to “love their country and understand what makes it worth defending.”

But critics say there is a key difference: earlier ads were tied to specific government programs or policies, while Trump's are not.

“There's nothing here that relates to a specific policy in any focused way,” Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer under George W Bush, told The Associated Press.

Experts interviewed by AP also raised potential legal problems, because the ads may violate federal rules on using congressionally appropriated funds for “propaganda or publicity,” as well as rules restricting partisan political activity by government employees.

“You look at all three ads, they are purely propaganda,” Painter said. “This is looking more and more like the way authoritarian governments promote their leaders.”