The Trump administration is spending taxpayer money to advertise on CNN and MS NOW — two networks President Donald Trump has simultaneously sought to keep out of the White House.
The unusual arrangement puts the administration in business with two of its most frequent media targets, paying the networks for commercial airtime even as it fights them over their journalists’ access to the president.
The government purchased 10 placements on CNN and 38 on MS NOW as part of a broader advertising campaign that has cost at least $2.87 million, according to ad-tracking data reported by The Washington Post. The ads have rankled many, who have accused the administration of using taxpayer money to fund what are essentially campaign ads.
MS NOW said accepting the advertisements is separate from its journalism.
“Accepting advertising does not influence or affect our editorial decisions or our journalism,” a network spokesman told TheWrap.
CNN did not immediately respond to a request to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The ad buys come amid an ongoing legal battle over the networks’ White House access. CNN was again shut out of the White House TV pool Thursday, despite a federal judge temporarily restoring access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico last week.
The White House also blocked CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One last weekend despite the network being scheduled to provide pool coverage. The other television networks declined to provide a substitute.
The taxpayer-funded ad campaign has drawn scrutiny over its cost and political messaging ahead of November’s midterm elections. The spots prominently feature Trump, while the White House has characterized them as public-service announcements promoting patriotism.
Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and George Whitesides on Thursday called for investigations into whether the campaign violates federal restrictions on using government resources for political purposes. Roughly $20 million in Department of Homeland Security funds was redirected for the advertising effort, according to Reuters.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr said Wednesday that the ads did not raise concerns warranting an FCC review. Trump has also defended the campaign, arguing that the spots are not election advertising because he is not on the ballot.
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