Thune breaks with Trump over taxpayer-funded ads: “A great message, but not with taxpayer dollars”

Senate majority leader, Republican John Thune of South Dakota, has publicly criticized the White House’s television ad campaign promoting President Donald Trump with taxpayer money, as Newsmax reports in an original Politico report from Monday, September 28.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Thune said: “It’s a great message. I like the message. But it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.”

The campaign expanded last week with a third ad titled “Final Battle” — a 30-second black-and-white spot showing Trump walking through a corridor, nearly identical to a video from his 2024 campaign, and ending with the text “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” The ad aired during Sunday’s NFL games, September 27, as well as on “Saturday Night Live,” “Fox News Sunday” and college football games. That ad alone cost about $319,000, according to the ad-monitoring firm AdImpact, Newsmax reports.

The White House defends the campaign by calling the spots “public service announcements” rather than political ads: Trump is not on the November 3 ballot and the ads contain no call to vote, officials argue. A White House spokesperson described the ads as “unapologetically American.”

Yet criticism is also growing within Republican ranks. Republican congressman Thomas Massie called the campaign a practice that would be “legal in banana republics,” while lawmakers from both parties and government-ethics organizations have reacted sharply — one of them calling it “Abuse of power!” Federal laws and appropriations acts prohibit the use of public money for political ads, while the Hatch Act limits the political activity of federal employees, according to the report.

The development comes a day after the “Final Battle” ad aired, which 24-ore.com covered on Sunday, while the debate over the legality of the campaign is expected to continue in Congress.