
America First Policies, a pro-Trump group, is deceptively using a photo from President Barack Obama's inauguration in a new ad as if to suggest Trump and his agenda is far more popular than it actually is.

A new ad from a pro-Trump group promoting the Republican tax bill uses a photo from President Barack Obama's inauguration, instead of one from Trump's poorly attended inaugural.

The group, America First Policies, was formed by top aides from Trump's presidential campaign to promote his agenda. Previously, the group ran ads backing the failed Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare.

In the new ad, "Once in a Generation," audio from a recent Trump speech, in which he pushes for the tax bill, plays over a still photo of people waving flags. But the photo is from Jan. 20, 2009, when Obama was inaugurated, and has nothing to do with Trump.


The deceptive move was first pointed out by MSNBC reporter Alex Seitz-Wald.

Inauguration crowds redux: Stock image in this pro-Trump group's ad appear to be from Obama's inauguration. https://t.co/116VHXGgHO https://t.co/HL6DKxxfqN pic.twitter.com/0zPk3AmfxA — Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) November 27, 2017

It is highly likely that the ad used the photo from Obama's inauguration because the photos from Trump's inauguration just don't measure up in crowd size.

The crowd for Trump's inauguration was estimated to be about a third of Obama's. The disparity has been a thorn in Trump's side since taking office. Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer berated the media on Trump's behalf when they accurately reported far fewer people were in the audience.

The Trump team also complained that more people watched his inauguration, and even declared that it was "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration." But over 7 million more people watched Obama's inauguration than Trump's, while Ronald Reagan's inauguration had 12 million more viewers than Trump.

If America First Policies had decided to show photos of Trump's inauguration, there would have likely been huge gaps in the crowd, since there was ample room to move in Washington on that day.

It is deceptive footage being used, dishonestly, to push a tax bill that raises taxes on the middle class while giving the ultra-wealthy (like Trump) a major tax break.

It's fitting that Trump's poorly attended inauguration is being portrayed using a photo of Obama's event, cementing the deceptive nature of the ad and the legislation it is selling.