The White House has released a taxpayer-funded ad praising Donald Trump’s war on Iran, posting it online as the conflict enters its seventh month. The one-minute spot aired during a commercial break on Fox News on Wednesday night and was posted online by MeidasTouch, a leftwing outlet. A copy of the ad was also posted on social media by Medium Buying, a company that purchases airtime for Republican candidates.
The ad draws heavily on speeches and images from the first three days of the war, when Iran’s government appeared close to collapse. It opens with audio from Trump’s 28 February declaration that the US military had begun major combat operations in Iran. The president is heard saying, “This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces,” over combat imagery, some of which appears to be dramatizations or computer-generated.
The soundtrack uses a cover version of John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom.
The Hegseth Segment
The ad then cuts to comments from Pete Hegseth, US defense secretary, from a briefing on the third day of the war. Hegseth speaks directly to the American people, using a line that has become central to the administration’s framing of the conflict.
- He says, “He reminded the world, as he has time and time again, being an American means something unbreakable.”
- He adds, “If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on Earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation and we will kill you.”
- He closes with, “We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their ayatollah.”
The phrase “Paid for by the US Government” appears at the bottom of the screen throughout the ad.
Trump’s Call for Regime Change
Audio switches back to Trump’s call for regime change in Iran from his February announcement. Trump says, “To the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand,” against dramatic music and images of Iranian Americans celebrating US strikes on 1 March.
Trump then says, “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.” The images of Iranian Americans marching down 42nd Street with signs reading “Thank you President Trump” were from a White House video posted on YouTube on 4 March.
What the Ad Shows
The ad focuses on speeches and images from the first three days of the war, when Iran’s government appeared close to collapse. The footage includes:
- Combat imagery, some of which appears to be dramatizations or computer-generated
- Dramatic music and images of Iranian Americans celebrating US strikes
- A White House video of Iranian Americans marching down 42nd Street with signs thanking Trump
The ad’s release comes as the war enters its seventh month. It is posted online by MeidasTouch, a leftwing outlet, and a copy was posted on social media by Medium Buying, a company that purchases airtime for Republican candidates.
The Question of Taxpayer Money
The ad is funded by the US government, and it is being promoted by a company that purchases airtime for Republican candidates. The release of the ad by MeidasTouch, a leftwing outlet, raises questions about how the administration chose to promote the spot.
The ad’s content is straightforward. It is a one-minute spot that praises Trump’s war on Iran, uses combat imagery and dramatic music, and quotes Trump and Hegseth directly. The soundtrack is a cover of John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom. The paid-for-by-the-US-Government disclaimer is visible throughout.
The war has been running for seven months. The ad’s focus on the first three days of the conflict suggests a desire to remind viewers of the administration’s early framing of the conflict.
What We Know
- The ad is taxpayer-funded
- It aired during a commercial break on Fox News on Wednesday night
- It was posted online by MeidasTouch, a leftwing outlet
- A copy was posted on social media by Medium Buying, a company that purchases airtime for Republican candidates
- It uses audio from Trump’s 28 February declaration
- It features comments from Pete Hegseth, US defense secretary
- The soundtrack is a cover of John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom
- The phrase “Paid for by the US Government” appears on screen
- The ad focuses on speeches and images from the first three days of the war
The ad is a blunt instrument. It is a direct appeal to support the war effort, framed as a fight for American values and American lives. The question of whether that message is reaching voters, or whether it is simply preaching to the choir, remains unanswered.
Source material: “White House airs new taxpayer-funded ad praising Trump’s war on Iran,” The Guardian.
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