Trump Shifts Funding for Controversial TV Ads

President Donald Trump says he will no longer use taxpayer money to pay for television advertisements featuring him, following widespread criticism that the spots resembled campaign advertising. The advertisements cost at least $1.5 million in federal funds and aired ahead of the November US midterm elections. In a social media post on Monday, Trump defended them as “a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” but said future costs would be covered by him or his political fundraising organization, MAGA Inc., which had more than $400 million by the end of July. The three nationally broadcast advertisements have drawn criticism from ethics experts and lawmakers in both parties, who have called for independent investigations. They have aired during football games and other programming. One features Trump saying that “America will never be a communist country” while a chorus repeats “love me.” Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump describing a “golden age of America.” The spots conclude with a disclaimer stating that they were paid for by the US government. Democratic lawmakers said the White House transferred $20 million in Department of Homeland Security funds to broadcast the ads. They also said one closely resembled a Trump campaign advertisement from 2024 and called for independent probes. California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday described the spending as a “staggering misuse of public funding and breach of public trust” and called for an independent investigation. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican appointed by Trump, said last week that the advertisements were appropriate and rejected a request to investigate them.

President Donald Trump says he will stop using taxpayer money to pay for television advertisements featuring him, following criticism from Democrats and Republicans. He said on social media that he will instead pay for the ads himself and use money raised through MAGA Inc, his super PAC. Trump described the advertisements as positive and patriotic promotion of the United States. More than a dozen ads have aired in recent weeks, promoting policies such as tax cuts, US manufacturing and law and order. Some also feature Trump promising to confront what he calls the “deep state” and other perceived enemies. One ad uses forceful language against communists, Marxists, fascists and the news media. The ads appeared shortly before November’s midterm elections, in which Democrats hope to gain control of one or both chambers of Congress. The article notes that the president’s party typically loses congressional seats in midterm elections, which often serve as a judgment on the administration. The White House has defended the ads as educational public-service announcements, comparing them to previous government campaigns about healthcare and Covid-19 vaccination. Legal experts counter that government advertising has generally addressed public health or national emergencies, and question what legitimate public purpose these ads serve. The ads have also prompted concern over laws restricting the use of public money for political advertising. Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan introduced a measure denouncing the use of government funds for the ads, but a Republican blocked it. Criticism has crossed party lines: Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he agreed with the message but not its taxpayer funding, while Republican Senator John Kennedy said public officials should not use public money for personal promotional advertisements. Trump’s announcement responds to this bipartisan pushback, though the article does not detail how the ads’ future financing will be administered.

President Donald Trump said he and his political action committee, MAGA Inc., would pay for television ads praising him after criticism over reports that the ads were funded with taxpayer money. The White House subsequently clarified that MAGA Inc. would pay for similar public-service ads in the future, not reimburse the cost of ads that had already aired. The ads ran ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress. The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Trump personally instructed his budget director to use federal funds for the ads. The report said $20 million in Customs and Border Protection funds was shifted on Sept. 19 into a budget category for commemorative events. AdImpact tracked about $9.7 million spent airing three ads featuring Trump through Oct. 5; the spending was paid with taxpayer funds. One ad showed Trump saying, “America will never be a communist country.” Trump described the ads as positive, patriotic promotion of the United States and said he would pay for them with money he raised for MAGA Inc. Critics argued the ads echoed Republican campaign messaging. Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan said they lacked a clear government purpose, appeared to violate restrictions on using appropriated funds for political propaganda, and should not have been paid for by taxpayers. She called for Trump to repay the money already spent. Public Citizen also filed complaints seeking to stop the ads and asking federal agencies to investigate potential violations of propaganda restrictions and the Hatch Act, which limits federal employees’ political campaign activity. The White House defended the ads as educational public-service announcements. MAGA Inc. reported raising $424.4 million and holding $415.8 million in cash as of Aug. 31; CNBC said the super PAC had spent at least $57 million during the election cycle.

US President Donald Trump said that taxpayers will no longer pay for television advertisements featuring him, with future costs instead covered by his MAGA Inc. super PAC and money he has raised. In a Truth Social post, Trump described the spots as a “positive promotion for our Great USA” and called government-funded advertising a standard practice, while saying he had chosen to pay for the ads himself. A White House official confirmed that MAGA Inc. would fund them going forward; the super PAC held more than $400 million by the end of July. The campaign-style ads began airing in late September and promote Trump’s policies. They warn against communism and refer to a “final battle” against “globalists,” and include a disclaimer stating that the US government paid for them. The ads cost at least $1.5 million in federal funds, according to the article. The spending has drawn criticism from lawmakers and ethics experts across party lines. Critics have questioned whether the ads breach rules against government propaganda or partisan political activity. Democrats say the administration moved $20 million from the Department of Homeland Security to pay for them and have called for independent investigations. Trump has not said whether the government will be reimbursed for advertisements that have already aired. The article reports his announcement alongside the controversy over the use of public money for promotional, campaign-style messaging.

US President Donald Trump said he would stop using taxpayer money to pay for three nationally broadcast television ads featuring him, after the spots drew widespread criticism ahead of the November congressional elections. The ads present what they call a “golden age of America” and were criticized by ethics experts and lawmakers from both major parties, who called for independent investigations. Trump described the ads on Truth Social as “a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” He said future costs would instead be covered by him personally or by his Maga PAC. A White House official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said the ads would be paid for by the political action committee going forward. The article reports that Trump’s Maga Inc political action committee has about US$400 million. The change in funding follows concerns over taxpayer support for campaign-style advertising so close to an election; the article does not give further details about the investigations or the ads’ production and costs.