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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Robert Mackey

White House claims pro-Trump ad it paid Fox to air was ‘public service announcement’

Donald Trump speaks into a microphone beside the FIFA trophy and Gianni Infantino
A screenshot from a White House ad for Donald Trump, showing him accepting the Fifa peace prize. Photograph: White House

The White House on Friday defended its decision to use taxpayer funds to buy airtime on Fox News for a White House-produced, pro-Trump ad that some Democrats said could be illegal government propaganda aimed at influencing voters in the upcoming midterm elections.

In a lengthy statement sent to news outlets, the White House press office insisted that versions of the ad, which feature audio of Trump urging voters to help him “defeat communism” and a whirlwind video review of his second term, were simply routine “public service announcements” like those produced by previous administrations.

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