FCC chair clears Trump ads as artists protest and bipartisan lawmakers demand answers over $20m taxpayer spend

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026 · last updated 1 October 2026.

The FCC chair has said government ads featuring President Trump raise no regulatory concerns, even as artists file formal complaints and lawmakers from both parties press the White House for answers over the Department of Homeland Security's reported $20 million spend on TV spots critics say are nearly identical to Trump's 2024 campaign commercials and amount to illegal propaganda.

Senators Patty Murray and Chris Murphy wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding he clarify within 48 hours whether DHS funds were used, calling the scheme 'corrupt and illegal'.

Republican senators including John Thune and John Kennedy also broke with the White House — Kennedy saying bluntly: 'You can't spend public money to promote yourself.'

Advocacy group Public Citizen has urged both the FCC and FTC to order broadcasters to pull the ads, calling them designed to boost Trump ahead of November's midterms — a late-night host highlighted that one spot is nearly identical to a 2024 campaign commercial, with only the ending changed.