'Impeachable Offense': Former WH official warns after Trump stirs storm with taxpayer-funded ads

WASHINGTON, DC: Former White House ethics attorney Richard Painter has raised alarms over an ad video promoting President Donald Trump, arguing it could be grounds for impeachment.

The ad video features an echoing voice track of President Trump, in which he vows “a final battle” against communists, the deep state, and “fake news” media. The part of the video that drew bipartisan backlash was the tagline: “Paid for by the US Government.”

Former Bush ethics lawyer flags possible impeachable offense

“As I told Bayliss Wagner of The New York Times here, this could be an impeachable offense. POTUS has no right to use taxpayer money for campaign ads,” Painter wrote on Sunday, September 27, on social platform X, referencing similar remarks he made to The New York Times.

“Congress has expressly prohibited government-sponsored political propaganda, which is dangerous for democracy,” added Painter, who was former President George W Bush’s chief ethics lawyer during his second term.

The ad was aired during NFL broadcasts on Sunday.

The president is heard saying, “Together, we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America,” as singer JMSN’s 'Love Me' plays in the background.

The ad concludes with audio of UFC CEO Dana White calling Trump the “toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met.”

Besides, media networks have also aired other ads promoting Trump in recent days. With roughly five weeks remaining before the midterms, Republicans are fighting to maintain control of Congress next year.

Another clip features the president saying during his 2024 presidential campaign that he and his supporters “will demolish the deep state” and "expel the warmongers from our government."

“We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all,” the president says in the ad.

Democrats and Republicans criticize taxpayer-funded ads

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called out President Trump for using taxpayers’ money for his own advertisement.

Criticizing the advertisement, Democratic Sen Chris Murphy (Conn) wrote on X last week, “Every taxpayer, no matter your party, should be outraged by this.”

GOP Sen John Kennedy (La) also said on Sunday that the use of taxpayer money to fund ads promoting the president was “probably” illegal.

“I don’t think any public official, including President Trump … or John Kennedy, should spend public money … on private ads for themselves,” Kennedy told host Margaret Brennan on CBS’s 'Face the Nation'.

White House defends ads as public service announcements

Describing the video as a public service announcement, the White House defended the commercial, arguing that it is "clearly not" a campaign ad since Trump is not on the ballot in November.

However, the president has asked voters to act believing that he is on the ballot.

The Trump administration also highlighted past examples of the federal government airing public service announcements, such as when the George W Bush and Obama administrations aired spots explaining new Medicare legislation and open enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, respectively.

“When prior Administrations utilized the airwaves, it was called ‘public education,’” the White House release reads. “When this Administration promotes pride in our country, many of those same voices call it ‘propaganda.’”

“Patriotism isn’t partisan. These public service announcements are unapologetically American, clearly disclosed, and aimed at the country — not a line on the ballot,” it added.