A taxpayer-funded ad telling Americans to “love” Donald Trump has aired on Fox News.
The fawning ad, which has been accused of amounting to “propaganda,” featured the president expressing anti-communist sentiments while presenting his policies as tax cuts and defending “law and order” policing.
The 30-second video, shown during Jesse Watters Primetime on Wednesday evening, also featured audio from UFC boss Dana White’s speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention, in which he described Trump as the “toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met and nothing is gonna stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves.”
Throughout the ad, the words “love me” from JMSN’s song “Love Me” are repeated over MAGA-esque patriotic imagery of flags and Trump. Toward the end of the ad, a disclaimer appears stating that it was “paid for by the U.S. government.”
The disclaimer essentially means that the American public paid for a partisan political ad that does little more than hype up the president, just weeks out from the crucial Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Governments can pay for advertising, but only for matters such as public health campaigns or military recruitment. Any ads taken out must remain non-partisan.
“Your tax dollars paid for this weird fascist propaganda,” the MeidasTouch account posted on X about the ad.
Democratic political commentator Isaiah Martin wrote: “Your tax dollars are paying for this propaganda while Trump says we have no money for health care.”
Sara McGee, a Democrat running for Texas House District 132, added: “This is fascist propaganda, period.
“I don’t know what the hell is going through the minds of the members of our other two branches of government, but they are actively betraying our country.”
A White House spokesperson tried to defend the ad by pointing out that other administrations had aired public service announcements.
“These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad,” the spokesperson added.
“The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”
This week, the president launched his own 24/7 stream, “Trump TV,” on the existing White House YouTube channel to desperately hype himself up, which immediately drew comparisons to North Korea-style state-run television.
The constant stream shows the Trump administration’s “biggest moments,” including the 80-year-old president’s long, meandering speeches and other “must-see” highlights.
However, not even the president’s loyal MAGA base is interested in the stream. Analysis from the Daily Beast found that only a few hundred people are watching at any one time.
In fact, more people would rather put on a completely black screen featuring audio of a Lasko box fan at speed 3—which acts as white noise to help people get to sleep—than the 24/7 Trump stream.
