Joe Scarborough Roasts Trump’s Propaganda Advertising

Oct 8, 2026 04:39 PM EDT, Thu

Scarborough calls out Republicans over Trump taxpayer-funded ad

“The question is, why are Republicans allowing this to happen?” Scarborough asked on Monday’s “Morning Joe.”

‘This is COMMUNISM!’: Joe SLAMS Trump for ‘illegal’ taxpayer-funded political ads

Sep 28, 2026 #Trump #Politics #News A new taxpayer-funded television ad from the Trump administration, which aired during “Faux News Sunday” and several college and NFL football games this weekend, is drawing controversy. The 30-second spot ends with President Donald Trump staring into the camera alongside the words, “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” It is the latest in a series of taxpayer-funded spots featuring Trump. The White House calls them “public service announcements,” arguing they promote patriotism and policies rather than the president’s campaign. However, critics say the commercials are inherently political, noting past presidential PSAs focused on specific policies rather than promoting the president directly. The Morning Joe panel discusses the ads, their legality and broader implications.

By Allison Detzel

Sept. 28, 2026, 12:44 PM EDT

MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough tore into Republicans over their silence after the Trump administration aired its latest government-funded ad promoting the president on national television over the weekend.

“Why are Republicans allowing this to happen?” Scarborough asked Monday, warning that their failure to rein in President Donald Trump could come back to haunt the party in November.

In the ad, released just weeks before the midterm elections, the president warns of a “final battle” and says his administration will “demolish the deep state,” get rid of the “communists, Marxists and fascists” and rout the “fake news media,” all to “liberate America.”

“This thing we’re going through with Donald Trump, very few things surprise me. When I saw at the end of that ad — ‘Paid for [by] the U.S. Government’ — that was such an Orbán, Putin move,” Scarborough said of the ad, comparing the president’s self-promotion at taxpayer expense to the actions of other strongmen, like Russia’s president and Hungary’s former prime minister.

The 30-second spot has raised legal and ethical concerns, with Democratic lawmakers and government ethics experts questioning whether it violates federal bans on using appropriated funds for political propaganda.

But for Scarborough, Trump’s conduct was not the most surprising part. The former Republican congressman said the real outrage was the willingness of congressional Republicans and conservatives allowing it to happen.

The MS NOW host said the silence from Republicans was “rich” and urged “every single” conservative to “come out and actually criticize this.”

Scarborough asked: “The question is, why are Republicans allowing this to happen? Why are conservatives allowing this to happen? Why are you allowing the centralized state to seize money from your taxpaying constituents to run a political ad filled with lies?”

The “Morning Joe” co-host, who represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District as a Republican, said that “if this had happened back when I was in [Congress], there would have been a riot.”

“You have the centralized state — the behemoth centralized state, big government — stealing taxpayer dollars to run a political advertisement,” he continued, adding, “This is socialism, by the way. This is communism, right?”

Scarborough said the ad was “not only bad for America” but also “really bad for the Republican Party,” warning that the president’s actions could ultimately backfire on the GOP in the midterms.

“You need to make him stop,” he said. “And if you can’t make him stop, well, good luck in November.”

You can watch Scarborough’s full comments in the clip at the top of the page.

Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. She was previously a segment producer for “AYMAN” and “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”

Related Posts

Navigation Within