WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has begun airing a taxpayer-funded television ad that closely resembles a spot from Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, renewing questions about the use of government money for political messaging ahead of the midterm elections. The 30-second video shows Trump walking down a hallway as he warns of a “final battle” against what he calls “globalists” and “warmongers.” It ends with the president looking into the camera and the words “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” The campaign version aired in 2024 and urged viewers to join Trump’s “Fight for America.” Spending on the new ad had topped about $319,000, according to AdImpact, a company that tracks media spending. The spot is part of a series of administration-funded television ads. A one-minute ad that began airing Friday uses nighttime footage of Mount Rushmore alongside excerpts from Trump’s speech there over the Fourth of July weekend. Another 30-second spot, launched Wednesday, includes Trump discussing communism and on-screen messages about tax cuts, manufacturing and law enforcement. The White House has defended the ads as public service announcements and said they are not campaign spots because Trump is not on the ballot and the videos do not ask viewers to take action. In a statement Friday, it said the announcements encourage Americans to value and defend their country. The administration has compared them with public messaging under former presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden, including ads about a Medicare law and COVID-19 vaccinations. Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the latest ads over their political content and the use of taxpayer dollars. Previous presidential administrations also ran public-information campaigns, but the White House’s examples focused on policies, rather than promoting the sitting president, according to the report. The dispute puts a spotlight on how government advertising is used during an election cycle—and on the line between communicating public policy and promoting a president’s political message.