The White House has unleashed a video ad promoting America, an “unapologetically patriotic” production, and leftists are complaining it’s a campaign promotion for President Donald Trump, who isn’t on this year’s ballot and won’t be in 2028.
See it:
A White House spokesman said, “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 ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country. … The PSAs are clearly not political. The president is not on the ballot and the ads don’t have a call to action.”
The facts, however, did not slow the venom that erupted from critics of this White House and administration.
The Washington Post claimed, “A television ad promoting President Trump began airing on cable Wednesday saying it was paid for by the U.S. government, despite a federal prohibition on using taxpayer dollars for ‘publicity or propaganda.'”
The Atlantic joined in, “Taxpayers are funding a campaign-style ad for Donald Trump, @mviser reports. ‘If the use of taxpayer dollars seems odd—and it should—the explanation that the White House gave me is even more bizarre,’ he writes.”
Richard W. Painter claimed, “This is a political ad, and it is ILLEGAL for the White House to pay for it with taxpayer funds.”
But there were defenders too, one pointing out, “Can you please point out where in this ad it says: VOTE for TRUMP. VOTE REPUBLICAN, VOTE RED LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES!”
And Independent headline said, “Trump commercial ‘paid for by the US government’ running of Fox News raises eyebrows.”
Brian Krassenstein attacked with, “This is illegal … Why the hell is the US government and our taxpayers paying for Trump political ad on Fox News?”
But it’s not even new, pointed out another: “FDR sold himself on taxpayer radio for years. Bush’s HHS got dinged by the GAO for covert Medicare propaganda. Obama’s shop did the same thing with his face on everything.”
The ad was condemned as “ominous” and an “abuse of power.”
Interestingly, one observer claimed it was “fascist propaganda.”
ABC reported it was drawing “criticism” “as violating rules preventing the use of tax dollars for political purposes.”
The Washington Examiner quoted the rage from Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and a longtime anti-Trump actor, “This may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes. … It is a Hatch Act violation for any government employees who worked on it or used government resources to make it. It is blatantly unethical under numerous federal ethics provisions proscribing the use of government resources for political campaigns.”
The video cites projects tackled during the Trump administration: “Largest tax cuts in history” and “Reigniting American manufacturing.”
“Together we will defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism in America,” a voice-over of Trump says during the video.
But, the report said, it “does not include any reference to political activities or voting, which the Hatch Act regulates against using federal dollars for. A White House official told the Washington Examiner that the ad is ‘clearly not political’ and does not “have a call to action,” adding that Trump’s name is not on the ballot this year.”
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., demanded of the White House a response to her “deep concerns” about the use of tax dollars.
But, the Examiner pointed out, “Other administrations have also run TV advertisements funded by the government before. Former President Joe Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services ran $911 million worth of messaging on COVID-19 vaccinations.”
Continue reading...
[ H/T WorldNetDaily ]
