{"id":2672072,"date":"2026-09-28T17:05:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-pans-trumps-psa-ads-for-using-taxpayer-money\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T17:07:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:07:11","slug":"thune-pans-trumps-psa-ads-for-using-taxpayer-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-pans-trumps-psa-ads-for-using-taxpayer-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune pans Trump\u2019s \u2018PSA\u2019 ads for using taxpayer money"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-pans-trumps-psa-ads-for-using-taxpayer-money%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2672072&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized the Trump administration for funding a taxpayer-funded public service announcement (PSA) campaign that features campaign-style videos, including recent ads with Trump endorsing anti-socialist messages and accusing political opponents and the media. Thune emphasized that while the messages may be positive, they should not be paid for with taxpayer money. The ads,costing over $1.5 million, have faced bipartisan scrutiny and allegations of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-rep-slotkin-accused-of-using-taxpayer-funded-resources-for-campaign\/\" title=\"Democrat Rep. Slotkin Accused of Using Taxpayer Funded Resources for ...\">violating federal campaign finance laws<\/a> and ethics rules, as critics view them as attempts to promote Trump and Republican interests ahead of the midterm elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Majority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"178\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) joined growing criticism Monday against a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4741494\/trump-anti-socialist-ad-paid-us-government\/\">taxpayer-funded \u201cPSA\u201d campaign<\/a> from the Trump administration that includes repurposed campaign materials from the 2024 presidential election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.adimpact.com\/viewer\/13980fc0-e2cd-48b1-a86f-3789a1c03a89\">The latest ad<\/a>, which includes an on-screen Disclaimer that it\u2019s \u201cPaid for by the U.S. Government,\u201d features President Donald Trump with a voiceover of him vowing to \u201cexpel the warmongers from our government\u201d and \u201ccast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists\u201d ahead of the November midterm elections.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<style>.explore-more-section { background: var(--wex-bg); border-top: 1px solid #ffffff; border-bottom: 1px solid #ffffff; margin: 24px 0; margin-top: -20px; }<\/style>\n<style id=\"mos-24e5e3e2-cd97-4c78-a6ee-c22c97bc7c76-style\">@scope (#mos-24e5e3e2-cd97-4c78-a6ee-c22c97bc7c76) { .we-meter {   --we-red: #DB3745;   --we-charcoal: #323E48;   --we-blue: #15BEF0;   --we-slate: #85A0AB;   --we-gold: #ECC270;   --we-text: #323E48;   --we-border: #85A0AB;    max-width: 800px;   margin: 0 auto;   padding: 1.5rem;   border: 1px solid rgba(33, 39, 42, 0.4);   border-radius: 12px;   background: #fff;   color: var(--we-text);   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; }  .we-grid {   display: grid;   grid-template-columns: 1fr 200px;   gap: 1.5rem;   align-items: center; }  .we-title {   margin: 0 0 0.5rem;   font-family: Constantia, \"Lucida Bright\", \"DejaVu Serif\", Georgia, \"serif\" !important;   font-size: 1.75rem !important;   line-height: 1.1 !important;   letter-spacing: -0.02em !important; }  .we-title span {   display: block;   color: var(--we-red); }  .we-copy {   margin: 0;   font-size: 1rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-actions {   text-align: center; }  .we-cta {   display: flex;   align-items: center;   justify-content: center;   gap: 8px;   width: 100%;   padding: 12px 16px;   border-radius: 8px;   background: var(--we-red);   color: #fff !important;   text-decoration: none;   font-size: 0.9rem !important;   font-weight: 700 !important; }  .we-arrow {   font-size: 1.2em !important; }  .we-member {   margin: 12px 0 0;   font-size: 0.85rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-member a {   color: var(--we-red);   text-decoration: none; }  @media (max-width: 600px) {   .we-grid {     grid-template-columns: 1fr;     gap: 1rem;   }   .we-meter {     padding: 1.25rem;   }   .we-cta {     padding: 14px;   } } }<\/style>\n<p><script>if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-24e5e3e2-cd97-4c78-a6ee-c22c97bc7c76-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(\/^@scope (#mos-24e5e3e2-cd97-4c78-a6ee-c22c97bc7c76) { \/, '').replace(\/}$\/, '');}}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"mos-24e5e3e2-cd97-4c78-a6ee-c22c97bc7c76\" style=\"display: contents;\">\n<section class=\"we-meter\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription meter\">\n<div class=\"we-grid\">\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Stay informed.<span>Stay ahead.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-copy\">                  Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most.       <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"we-actions\">       <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\/\">         <span>See Options<\/span>         <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>       <\/a>       <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\/\">Log in<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a great message. I like the message,\u201d Thune told reporters. \u201cBut it shouldn\u2019t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ad was the most recent campaign-style video funded by the federal government under the umbrella of what it calls \u201cpublic service announcements.\u201d The PSAs have drawn bipartisan scrutiny over concerns that taxpayer money is being misused to promote Trump and Republicans as voters prepare to head to the ballot box. The administration has spent north of $1.5 million on the three ads, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4741494\/trump-anti-socialist-ad-paid-us-government\/\">DEMOCRATS SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP ANTI-SOCIALIST AD PAID FOR BY US GOVERNMENT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics and government watchdog groups accuse the ads of violating federal campaign finance laws and ethics rules.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is the final battle with you at my side,\u201d Trump says in the latest ad. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thune criticizes taxpayer-funded Trump campaign PSA ads<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3204,"featured_media":2672073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AP26204716647586-e1789159576502.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[57291,35795,5894,49184,3634],"class_list":["post-2672072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ads-2","tag-political-criticism","tag-politics","tag-public-funding","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AP26204716647586-e1789159576502.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3204"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2672072"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2672076,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672072\/revisions\/2672076"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2672073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2672072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2672072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2672072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}