The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that taxpayer funds from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were used to air a series of pro-Trump television ads, drawing bipartisan attention weeks ahead of the November midterm elections. The report states that U.S. President Trump personally pushed for these advertisements and took part in their production.
This disclosure means CBP, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has become involved in an ad campaign that differs markedly from its conventional public outreach. CBP normally runs ads to deter illegal immigration, but this round of spots features extensive footage of Trump, highlights his tax-cut policies, criticizes communism, and adopts some slogans from his 2024 presidential campaign.
Ad Content Centered on Trump’s Campaign Narrative
One of the ads claims that “America will never be a communist nation”, with repeated footage of Trump shown on screen. Another revives his “last battle” slogan from the 2024 campaign and attacks the political establishment and news media.
These ads have aired thousands of times across national and local channels. CNBC previously reported that according to AdImpact, a political ad spending tracker, the two commercials have cost more than $1.2 million to broadcast.
Democrats and at least one Republican senator have questioned whether taxpayer money should be spent on ads so clearly built around Trump’s personal image. Some congressional Democrats are now calling for an investigation to find out whether funds originally allocated for border protection were used to promote the president’s political messaging.
Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) wrote to DHS on Tuesday: “It appears DHS has earmarked $20 million for this shocking program.” The two senators said the department tapped funds allocated to CBP under the Republican-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Regulatory Pressure Mounts
Pressure also reached federal regulators on Tuesday. The watchdog group Public Citizen filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging broadcasters to stop airing the ads. Last Friday, the group also submitted requests to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Special Counsel, asking for probes into alleged violations of federal propaganda restrictions and the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan political campaign activities.
The White House defended the campaign on Tuesday, stating the ads constituted public service announcements. A White House spokesperson told CNBC: “These public service announcements are intended to remind Americans to love their country and understand why it is worth defending, whether at home, on the border, or overseas. The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our nation.”
CBP did not immediately respond to requests for comment at press time. As the midterm elections draw near, the controversy over government spending, the boundary of political propaganda and whether federal agencies have been dragged into disseminating campaign messaging is expected to keep escalating.