*President Donald Trump’s administration is paying MS NOW to air taxpayer-funded advertisements even as Trump battles the network over White House access, creating an unusual collision between his media fight and a controversial government-funded advertising campaign.
The contradiction has generated tension inside MS NOW, according to reporting by Status, while scrutiny of the ads has escalated beyond the network. California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday asked federal watchdogs to investigate the campaign, which his office says has cost taxpayers at least $5.5 million.
MS NOW Staffers Reportedly Angered
Status reported that MS NOW executives disclosed the expected ad placement during the network’s regular 4:30 p.m. meeting with senior producers last Tuesday.
The news reportedly startled participants, including members of prime-time show teams and senior production staffers. According to Status, some employees were angered by the prospect of the network carrying advertisements that its own programming had repeatedly scrutinized.
The Washington Post subsequently reported that the Trump administration purchased advertising on both MS NOW and CNN while Trump was also fighting to restrict the networks’ access to the White House.
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That puts MS NOW in the unusual position of receiving advertising dollars from an administration whose relationship with the network has been openly adversarial.
Taxpayer-Funded Ads Draw Scrutiny
The advertisements feature Trump and carry a disclosure identifying them as paid for by the U.S. government.
Reuters reported that the nationally broadcast ads have drawn bipartisan criticism and questions about their legality ahead of the midterm elections. The campaign has appeared across major television outlets and during national football broadcasts.
The White House has defended the spots as public service announcements rather than campaign advertisements.
Legal and ethics experts have challenged that characterization, however, raising questions about federal restrictions governing taxpayer-funded political messaging. FactCheck.org documented the competing arguments surrounding the administration’s defense of the campaign.
California AG Seeks Investigation
Attorney General Rob Bonta
The controversy intensified Monday when Bonta asked the Government Accountability Office and U.S. Office of Special Counsel to investigate the advertisements.
Bonta’s office said the campaign began Sept. 23 and has appeared on Fox News, CNN and MS NOW as well as during NFL games and on social media. His office said the campaign has reportedly cost taxpayers at least $5.5 million.
Whether the advertisements violate federal law remains disputed. The California attorney general is asking federal watchdogs to examine whether the campaign runs afoul of restrictions governing the use of taxpayer money.
Trump’s MS NOW Contradiction
The dispute creates a striking media dynamic for both sides.
MS NOW has devoted extensive airtime to examining the funding and legality of the Trump administration’s advertising campaign. Status reported that the network had aired more than a dozen segments about the issue before executives disclosed internally that one of the advertisements was expected to run nationally on MS NOW.
At the same time, Trump has been fighting to restrict MS NOW and other news organizations from access to White House grounds.
The result is an unusual relationship: the Trump administration is paying to reach MS NOW’s audience while simultaneously battling the network over access — and Status reports that the arrangement has angered some people inside the network.
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