Full List of Republicans Speaking Out Against Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads - Newsweek

President Donald Trump’s taxpayer-funded public advertisements touting his administration’s agenda ahead of the midterms have been rebuked by some Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

The White House has aired three advertisements touting his policies ahead of the midterms. One advertisement features Trump delivering a critique of communism while the song "Love Me" by JMSN plays in the background, ending with the UFC CEO Dana White praising Trump as the "toughest, most resilient person that I've ever met."

Another features Trump discussing campaign pledges to "demolish the deep state" and expel "the warmongers from our government," while a third advertisement features Trump discussing the nation’s "golden age of America" while showing him speaking at Mount Rushmore.

The advertisements, which the White House has described as public-service announcements, have drawn bipartisan scrutiny, with critics raising concern about whether they constitute reasonable use of taxpayer dollars. Spending on the first ad has reached at least $443,000, according to The Associated Press.

They put Trump front and center on TV just weeks ahead of the midterms, which have become a referendum on his administration.

Polls suggest many Americans are increasingly frustrated with the president, amid concerns over the economy, cost of living and surging gas prices. Democrats are hoping that Trump’s unpopularity could help them retake control of the House of Representatives and Senate.

Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, told CBS News’ Face the Nation that he does not agree with the advertisements on Sunday.

"I don't think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves," he said. "Now, the White House sees it differently, but I think there ought to be a rule that you can't—well, there probably is a rule—you can't spend public money to promote yourself."

Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, compared the advertisements to something that would be seen in a banana republic.

"Don’t worry, using taxpayer dollars to run ominous campaign ads of the President has been done before and is completely legal…in banana republics," he wrote.

Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, told reporters the advertisements are "inappropriate," reported The Hill.

"It’s not like they need a GoFundMe page to have the dollars to do that sort of ad and they could do it. But using taxpayer dollars, it feels like Viktor Orbán," he said.

Former Representative Justin Amash, who served in Congress as a Republican but has left the party, wrote in a post on X, "A taxpayer-funded propaganda TV spot. This is the most shameless administration of our lifetime."

Conservative commentator Erick Erickson said the ads are "not a public good" and constitute a "waste of taxpayer dollars" in a post on X.

Michael Steele, the former chair of the RNC, also condemned the ads.

"This is a political Ad produced by the Federal Government. It was paid for with your tax dollars. It is propaganda. This should never happen because it is illegal, unethical and politically tone deaf," he wrote.

"These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad. The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country," the spokesperson said.

Robert Y. Shapiro, a professor of political science at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, told Newsweek that voters who are not already supportive of Trump "will see this as more to do with political advertising and not the public service of the president."

"Given all the larger factors hurting Trump and the Republicans in the upcoming election, any effect of this will be marginal," he said.

Shapiro said it could potentially engage some of Trump’s voters who are not already actively paying attention to the midterms, but could do the same for voters who dislike him by reminding them of their disapproval.

Presidents have run public service announcements in the past. During the Biden administration, for example, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ran an advertisement promoting the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, past PSAs like that tend to be more focused on a specific policy or cause, rather than promoting the image of a president.

Federal agencies may use taxpayer funds for public-service announcements when the spending serves an authorized government purpose. Federal appropriations law, including the purpose statute, generally bars agencies from using funds for unauthorized publicity or propaganda, particularly communications that promote partisan interests or seek to influence legislation.

The Hatch Act separately restricts political activity by covered federal employees. Critics argue some adverts cross these boundaries by promoting political interests rather than simply informing the public about government programs or policies.

Trump’s approval rating reached new lows in some recent polls. A survey from American Research Poll published last week found his lowest approval rating yet, with only 29 percent of respondents giving him positive marks, compared to 68 percent disapproving of his job performance.

It surveyed 1,100 adults from September 16 to September 20, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

His net approval rating stood at -19 points in the latest Emerson College poll, 58 percent disapproving of him and 39 percent approving. It surveyed 1,000 likely voters from September 21 to 22, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

A poll from YouGov and The Economist found 35 percent of Americans approved of Trump, while 62 percent disapproved. It surveyed 1,401 registered voters from September 18 to September 21, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Republicans have begun to recalibrate their relationship with Trump ahead of the midterms, as the president’s approval rating has slipped amid ongoing frustration over the economy, cost of living and gas prices, potentially becoming a drag on the party in November.

Some Republicans, such as Representative Ashley Hinson, who is running for Senate in Iowa with Trump’s endorsement and Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers, called for an immediate end to the Iran war amid rising fuel prices due to disruptions in the global oil supply.

"Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran. We need to use every option at our disposal to provide some relief from high prices," Hinson wrote in a post on X.

Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, who is running for reelection in a Miami-area district that zoomed rightward over the past decade, said in a recent video on X that the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts "have gone too far."

"You can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism. I'm not talking about giving them amnesty. I'm talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land," she said.

Representative Byron Donalds, who is running for governor in Florida, has removed references to Trump from his campaign website.

His campaign said the changes reflected Donalds’ "focus on the issues that matter most to Floridians—affordability, insurance costs, and government transparency." Trump also described it as a "fake story" in a post on X.

"If Florida thought the story that Byron ‘dropped’ me was true, he would lose the Election, and that would be a terrible thing because he’s going to be a fantastic Governor!" he wrote.

The midterms are just over five weeks away, and Trump’s popularity is likely to be a major issue shaping how candidates campaign and message to voters in the next stretch of election season.

Issues such as the economy and Iran war are also going to be critical.