CNN Airs Compilation of Republican Senators Railing Against Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads

CNN aired footage of top Republican senators criticizing President Donald Trump’s taxpayer-funded television ads, showing members of his own party questioning the use of public money to promote the president ahead of the midterm elections.

The president’s administration began airing the spots last week. One touts accomplishments including “reigniting American manufacturing” and the “largest tax cuts in history,” while another features footage and rhetoric nearly identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad, including his pledge to “demolish the deep state” and “drive out the globalists.” Both end with disclosures that they were paid for by the U.S. government.

The White House has defended them as “public service announcements,” while The Associated Press reported that at least $443,000 of taxpayer funds have been spent on the campaign so far.

The CNN compilation ran on Monday’s edition of OutFront, with host Erin Burnett first playing an audio recording of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

“I like the message, but it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Next was a clip from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who told CBS News, “I don’t think any public official, including President Trump, or [former Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem, or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves.”

Then came audio from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who was asked by a reporter if he thought the ads were “appropriate.”

“No,” he responded decidedly. “It’s not even a close question.”

Lastly, while not criticism from a senator, Burnett also mentioned a social media post from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) that read, “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.”

And while it wasn’t included in the compilation, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told NBC News of the ads, “I hate it. I tell you, it feels like [former Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán talking to the Hungarian people. There’s no place for that sort of thing.”

Furthermore, as CNN reported, Trump himself has taken a hands-on role in producing the spots, even weighing in on which images and footage appear in them.

Watch above on CNN.

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