Schumer: Judge halting Trump ads ‘only the beginning’
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) on Sunday hailed the order from a federal judge blocking the Trump administration from using taxpayer money to pay for s promoting his leadership and pledged it marked “only the beginning” of a legal battle over the controversial ads.
“Taxpayer dollars are not Trump’s personal propaganda fund. This court order is a win for taxpayers, but stopping the ads is only the beginning,” Schumer said in a statement.
“Americans deserve answers about every dollar spent. That’s why I’ve demanded a thorough investigation into these ads and that all records are preserved,” he continued. “Now we need answers: who approved them, how much was spent, and who will be held accountable.”
The New York Times reported earlier this month that Trump personally ordered his budget director to use taxpayer money for the positive TV advertising campaign.
The administration created more than a dozen campaign-style ads paid for with taxpayer money to promote the president and echo his political rhetoric a few weeks before the midterm election.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that he viewed the ads as “promotion for our Great U.S.” but last week announced they would be funded by his super PAC and no longer paid for by the U.S. government.
One ad closely resembled an online promotional that the president posted to his Truth Social account in January 2024, as he was gearing up for his presidential campaign.
The ad from the 2024 election year urged supporters to text “TRUMP to 88022” to support his campaign.
The more recent ad paid for by taxpayers did not include a fundraising pitch but was otherwise nearly identical.
It features Trump walking down hallway accompanied to the soundtrack of a rousing speech he delivered at an unidentified event declaring: “This is the final battle. With you at my side, we will demolish the deep state, we will expel the warmongers from our government.”
Several Republican senators warned that it would be inappropriate to use taxpayer money to fund s that closely resembled political ads.
“It’s a great message, I like the message but it shouldn’t be paid for by taxpayer dollars,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters last month.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said he wouldn’t think of using taxpayer money to fund political s so close to an election.
“It would not have been something that I would have done,” he noted. “I know that the White House is not covered by the same guidance that we are but it’s not something I would have done.”
to like, bookmark, and comment.
Comments
Join the conversation:
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.