US FCC head says controversial Trump ads do not raise concerns

What the report says

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said publicly funded television advertisements tied to President Donald Trump do not raise concerns for the agency and do not appear to require FCC review. Al Jazeera reported that Carr, who was appointed by Trump, compared the spots to public service announcements and echoed the White House’s defense that the messages are not campaign ads.

The controversy centers on a series of taxpayer-funded spots airing on national television, including during major sports programming, that critics from both parties say resemble political promotion for Trump and his administration. Democratic senators Patty Murray and Chris Murphy urged the Department of Homeland Security to stop the campaign, saying the spending should end and taxpayers should be reimbursed. Some Republicans also criticized the ads, with Senator Thom Tillis saying they looked like something a foreign authoritarian leader might produce.

Al Jazeera noted that the White House has argued Trump is not on the ballot and that the announcements are meant to promote patriotism and support for the country. The report also said media freedom groups have accused Carr of helping Trump pressure broadcasters, though Carr did not address those broader criticisms in the quoted remarks.

One ad uses footage of Trump in a dramatic walk, while another pairs his past campaign-style rhetoric with a list of administration claims about tax cuts and manufacturing. Al Jazeera also reported a separate dispute over use of a song in one of the ads, with the artist saying it was used without permission.