'I mean, c'mon!' Kasie Hunt slams Trump White House's defense of taxpayer-funded ad

CNN host Kasie Hunt slammed President Donald Trump's White House on Monday for trying to defend the president's latest taxpayer-funded advertisements.

The ad was released during Sunday Night Football and featured a black-and-white video of Trump walking through the White House grounds, promising to "liberate" America from communists. It followed another taxpayer-funded ad that appeared on Fox News last week, featuring UFC CEO Dana White calling Trump "the most resilient person I've ever met." Both ads featured a disclaimer saying they were "paid for by the U.S. Government."

The Trump White House defended the ads as public service announcements, which other presidents have released in the past. Hunt wasn't buying it.

"Just ask yourself, do you really think they would be running ads like this if it wasn't an election year?" Hunt said on "The Arena." "I mean, come on!"

The taxpayer-funded ads have become a contentious issue within the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections. On Sunday, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) sharply criticized the ads.

"I don't think any public official ... should spend public money on private ads for themselves," Kennedy said.