Did Trump use your tax dollars to fund his own advertising?

Money, Power, Politics with Stephanie Ruhle tackles three major political stories on October 6th, 2026. The episode opens with reporting on Kristi Noem's spending as Homeland Security Secretary, examining how taxpayer dollars were allocated during her tenure—a timely accountability story given her high-profile cabinet role. The second segment covers the Florida gubernatorial race, where Democrats believe they have found an opening to compete in a traditionally challenging state. David Jolly, a candidate in that race, joins the panel to discuss his campaign and strategy. The third and headline story concerns President Trump's reversal on a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign. After facing public backlash over using federal funds for personal political advertising, Trump changed course and announced a new approach—though the episode doesn't specify what that new plan entails based on the available notes. The episode assembles a panel of six guests: Basil Smikle, Charlie Sykes, Anthony Fisher, Adam Mockler, David Jolly, and David Fahrenthold. Fahrenthold is a notable addition, as he has built a reputation for investigative reporting on political spending and financial accountability. The format appears to be "The Group Chat," suggesting a roundtable discussion model rather than deep-dive reporting. The episode runs 40 minutes, which is a moderate length for news and politics content. The show notes indicate this is part of the MS NOW Premium offering on Apple Podcasts, with an ad-free subscription option available. The episode touches on accountability (Noem's spending), electoral politics (Florida race), and executive power/taxpayer protection (Trump's ad spending reversal). However, the show notes provide limited detail on what specific findings or conclusions emerged from these discussions, making it difficult to assess the depth of reporting or the quality of analysis offered.

Verdict: A timely, topical episode with credible guests and relevant stories, but limited show-note detail prevents confidence that it delivers substantial reporting or analysis rather than surface-level discussion.

News rubric

• Accuracy and sourcing 3/5 20%

  David Fahrenthold's presence suggests investigative sourcing on spending issues, but show notes don't detail specific sources or fact-checking for the three main stories.

• Balance and context 3/5 20%

  Panel includes multiple perspectives (Sykes, Fisher, Smikle suggest ideological range), and David Jolly provides direct candidate voice, but show notes don't confirm opposing viewpoints were presented.

• Timeliness and relevance 5/5 15%

  All three stories—cabinet spending accountability, competitive Florida race, and Trump's policy reversal—are current events directly relevant to October 2026 political landscape.

• Substance 2/5 15%

  Show notes list topics and guests but provide no detail on findings, analysis depth, or specific reporting; suggests broad coverage of three topics rather than substantial investigation of any.

• Delivers on its title 4/5 15%

  Title promises focus on Trump's use of tax dollars for advertising; episode does cover this reversal, plus two related political stories, though the title's specificity isn't fully matched in scope.

• Value for time 3/5 15%

  40 minutes covering three distinct political stories suggests reasonable pacing, but without detail on depth or tangents, difficult to assess whether time is used efficiently.

How we score News

Worth it if you want a quick daily briefing on current political accountability issues and the 2026 election landscape, but not if you're seeking deep investigative reporting.

Content flags

• Ad-heavy Show notes prominently promote MS NOW Premium ad-free subscription, indicating the free version carries significant advertising.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.