Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said Wednesday that a series of television ads supporting President Donald Trump that were paid for with government money “don’t raise any red flags.”
“It doesn’t strike me as anything at all out of the ordinary,” Carr said when asked about the ads at a news conference Wednesday.
“There’s nothing in there that strikes me that merit any sort of FCC review,” Carr said.
Democratic lawmakers and consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen disagree, with the latter filing a complaint after the ads aired. Public Citizen said at least three campaign ads appear to violate the federal law against using taxpayer funds to finance propaganda, as well as the Hatch Act.
“Under federal communications law, broadcast stations are strictly prohibited from censoring or rejecting ads sponsored by legally qualified political candidates,” Public Citizen said. “Even if a candidate’s ad contains graphic imagery or disputed claims, stations generally must air it. But there are clear exceptions to this rule.”
One of the ads includes a new version of an ad his presidential campaign used in 2024. Another promotes administration policies while showing images of Trump and ends with UFC President Dana White praising him as the “toughest, most resilient” person he has ever met.
“I recognize the concern shared by others that taxpayer dollars are being used to promote a political message, particularly given the timing of these ads coming so close to an election,” Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the FCC, said in a statement to NBC News. “While it is not surprising to see the FCC exercise a double standard when it comes to its investigative decisions, I am certain we will hear more about this from folks in Congress, who are ultimately responsible.”
Round out your reading
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- Trump’s apparent joke about letting Iran bomb LA and San Diego catches bipartisan condemnation.
- Grandparents are fighting for access to their grandchildren. Here’s what the law says.
- When the ‘victim’ is made with AI, child pornography cases get complicated.
- Fibermaxxing is trending. Here’s what the science says.
