Former White House ethics attorney Richard Painter has stated that President Donald Trump's use of government funds to air political advertisements promoting himself could constitute an impeachable offense. Painter expressed this view on X, formerly Twitter, asserting that Trump "has no right to use taxpayer money for campaign ads."
The Trump administration has reportedly run at least two advertisements that critics have labeled as political propaganda. One ad featured UFC chief Dana White praising Trump over the song "Love Me," while another was a recycled video from Trump's 2024 campaign. The White House has maintained that these are public service announcements, despite arguments that they align with the definition of propaganda and do not serve a public cause or awareness objective.
Painter, who previously served as ethics chief under President George W. Bush, highlighted that "Congress has expressly prohibited government-sponsored political propaganda, which is dangerous for democracy." He linked to a New York Times article that also featured commentary from ethics experts, including Painter, who argued that the ads repurpose prior political conduct.
Norm Eisen, a former White House special counsel for ethics and government reform under President Barack Obama, told the Times that the administration has "gone from breaking the law to trampling it." Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has also indicated that the ads may be illegal, citing a specific statute concerning "felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes."
Even some Republicans have voiced concerns. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) stated on "Face the Nation" that no public official should use public funds for private advertising. "I think there ought to be a rule," Kennedy said. "Well, there probably is a rule. You can’t spend public money to promote yourself."