Presidential Public Service Announcements Are Nothing New
The attacks on President Donald J. Trump’s public service announcements are highly dishonest. The announcements are very clearly not campaign ads; President Trump is not on the ballot and there is no call to action. Instead, the announcements are a reminder for Americans to love their country and know why it’s worth defending — at home, at the border, and abroad.
That’s not partisanship — that’s a government that still believes in the country it serves.
Administrations of both parties have used public service announcements to explain policy and make the case for the nation’s direction:
- The G.W. Bush Administration ran a national television campaign explaining the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act to seniors. It also bought Super Bowl airtime for anti-drug and anti-terrorism public service announcements.
- The Obama Administration used national advertising to promote Obamacare subsidies and open enrollment, and a digital campaign to sell its Waters of the United States rule.
- The Biden Administration poured hundreds of millions of dollars into “We Can Do This” — television, digital, radio, and print spots — to drive a nationwide public health message.
- It’s not just modern Administrations. President Woodrow Wilson’s Committee on Public Information used posters, films, and speakers to rally the country. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Office of War Information produced films, radio, and posters to promote the war effort.
When prior Administrations utilized the airwaves, it was called “public education.” When this Administration promotes pride in our country, many of those same voices call it “propaganda.”
Patriotism isn’t partisan. These public service announcements are unapologetically American, clearly disclosed, and aimed at the country — not a line on the ballot.
