A taxpayer-funded White House advertisement aired during commercial breaks of multiple NFL games on Sunday, drawing criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.
The ad featured imagery of President Trump walking through a hall accompanied by a voiceover in which he declared, “this is the final battle.”
Trump’s voiceover continued: “We will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists. We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all.”
CNN reported the advertisement appeared during the game between the Seattle Seahawks, the reigning league champions, and the Washington Commanders, as well as during the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers matchup.
This latest ad follows another taxpayer-funded Trump administration commercial that both Democrats and Republicans had already criticized in the weeks prior to its airing.
That earlier ad targeted communism, socialism, and Marxism, with Trump’s voice declaring, “Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America,” and “America will never be a communist country.”
A song titled “Love Me” by JMSN played in the background of that commercial, which began with black-and-white images of Trump before transitioning to footage from political rallies and White House events.
The earlier commercial also boasted Trump’s “largest tax cuts in history” and vowed to “defend law and order and police,” and featured UFC CEO Dana White praising Trump as the “toughest, most resilient person” he has met.
According to AdImpact, that earlier ad has cost taxpayers more than $362,000 so far, having aired during NFL games and on “Fox News Sunday.”
The commercial is nearly identical to a campaign video Trump shared on Truth Social in 2024 while running for president for a third time, raising questions about the use of public funds for what critics view as political messaging.
With the November midterms only weeks away, the Trump administration’s decision to air president-focused advertisements at taxpayer expense has drawn widespread attention and bipartisan scrutiny from lawmakers.
The Hill reported it has reached out to the White House for further comment on the advertisements.
