Senate GOP Leader Thune Opposes Taxpayer Funding for Trump TV Ads

Senate Republican Leader John Thune said on September 28, 2026, that taxpayers should not fund television advertisements praising President Donald Trump, breaking publicly with the White House over government spending on promotional media. The ads, which the administration calls "presidential public service announcements," aired nationally over the weekend on cable and broadcast networks, including Sunday public affairs shows and college and NFL football games. One features a photo montage of Trump; another includes speech outtakes and a voiceover declaring a US "golden age." "It's a great message, I like the message, but it shouldn't be paid for with taxpayer dollars," Thune told reporters at the Capitol. Democrats and watchdog group Public Citizen have called the funding illegal, citing spending law language barring unauthorized publicity or propaganda and the Hatch Act. The White House defended the ads, saying Trump "is not on the ballot" in the midterms. Thune's criticism marks a rare public break with the president as Republicans face competitive Senate races in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Alaska and Texas.