Americans don't want taxpayer dollars funding campaign ads: poll
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Nearly nine in 10 voters say using taxpayer money to pay for election-related ads featuring the president or Cabinet members is inappropriate, including 80% of Republicans, according to a recent Reuters-Ipsos poll.
Why it matters: The administration's decision to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on Trump-fronted ads weeks before the midterms is facing an uproar and overwhelming public opposition.
- While the administration insisted the ads were actually PSAs, Trump later announced that a super PAC affiliated with him would foot the bill for future ads (but not reimburse the taxpayer dollars already spent).
Friction point: New polling suggests the TV spots, which the White House said "are a reminder for Americans to love their country," might not get much love from voters.
- The poll of 4,506 adults found that just 9% of Americans find it appropriate to tap taxpayer funds for election-related television ads featuring the president or cabinet members.
Zoom out: A majority of Americans also panned other actions Trump has taken: 68% say it's inappropriate to block media outlets from entering the White House, and 72% say the same about naming federal institutions and buildings after a sitting president.
Zoom in: A White House official contended in a statement to Axios that the "PSAs are clearly not political," saying Trump "is not on the ballot and the ads don't have a call to action."
- But one is nearly identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad, using the same footage and narration, with the campaign sponsorship tagline replaced with a disclaimer: "Paid for by the U.S. Government."
- Earlier this month, Democrats called on the Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to investigate the use of taxpayer money to produce and air the ads.
Between the lines: Axios' Alex Isenstadt scooped late last month that the ads released so far were "just the beginning" and that Trump himself — pleased with the war-room-style social media posts his digital team regularly pumps out — was hand-picking the ads himself.
- And it's not just the White House that's gotten in on promotional hype that blurs the lines with campaign content: The FBI's rapid response account released a video Tuesday applauding director Kash Patel — and criticizing Democrats, including Senate candidate Abdul-El Sayed.
The bottom line: As an election approaches where cost-of-living concerns are paramount, Americans have strong feelings about how their taxpayer dollars are spent.
Go deeper: "Love Me" artist doesn't love Trump using his song
