US FCC Chairman Says Controversial Trump Ads Do Not Warrant Review

The chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, has said a series of taxpayer-funded television advertisements promoting President Donald Trump and his administration do not raise concerns requiring regulatory review.

Carr, who was appointed by Trump to lead the FCC, said on Wednesday that there was nothing in the advertisements that warranted an investigation by the broadcast regulator.

“There’s nothing in there that strikes me to merit any sort of FCC review,” Carr said.

The advertisements have attracted criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who argue that they resemble political campaign material despite being funded with public money.

The White House has defended the advertisements, describing them as public service announcements rather than campaign advertisements. It said Trump is not on the ballot and that the videos contain no call to action.

The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly planning to spend $20 million on the television campaign. Democratic Senators Patty Murray and Chris Murphy have called on the department to stop airing the advertisements and demanded that taxpayers be reimbursed.

Republican lawmakers have also criticised the use of public funds. Senator John Thune said he agreed with the message of one of the advertisements but argued that it should not be funded by taxpayers.

Meanwhile, Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin said the advertisements could potentially violate federal laws governing the use of government resources for political activities. He also cited the Hatch Act, which restricts certain political activities by federal employees.

One of the advertisements features Trump walking slowly through a hallway while audio from his previous presidential campaign plays in the background. Another highlights what it describes as achievements of his administration, including tax cuts and increased manufacturing.

The campaign has also faced a separate dispute over music. Artist JMSN said Trump’s administration used his song “Love Me” in one of the advertisements without permission. His lawyers subsequently demanded that the music be removed, saying the artist did not want to be associated with Trump or his administration.

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