In a major reversal, President Donald Trump said Monday that he and his super PAC will now pay for campaign ads promoting his administration, instead of using federal funds.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social after intense criticism from lawmakers on both sides, some of whom questioned the legality of using taxpayer dollars for pro-Trump ads.
“The radical left is upset that I am taking ads, which I view as positive promotion for our great United States, and paying for them with American money,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It’s a pretty standard thing to do but, rather than do that, even though nothing will make them happy, I decided to do patriotic ads, among other things, and pay for them myself, and with the money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”
Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether he and Trump would reimburse the government for ads already aired. The White House has not responded to this question either.
“MAGA Inc. will now pay for PSA ads,” a White House official said.
“Presidential PSAs are not new. Administrations of both parties have used PSAs to explain policy and advocate the direction of the nation,” the official added.
AdImpact, a political ad tracking company, estimates that the government spent at least $10 million running these ads.
The ads, which portray Trump in a favorable light, included disclaimers claiming they were funded by the U.S. government. One of the spots was virtually identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad.
NBC News reported last week that the ads were paid for with money intended for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but the agency’s top executives were excluded from the decision.
A Maryland-based company, LMD Agency, won a $20 million contract for the new ads, according to government procurement records. The objective of the contract was described as a “national media campaign”.
Lawmakers on both sides have condemned the ads. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called it “propaganda,” while Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring, compared Trump to former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
“There’s no room for that kind of thing,” Tillis said.
The White House previously defended the ads, calling them “clearly non-political” and saying the PSAs “are intended to remind Americans to love their country and understand what’s worth fighting for, at home, at our borders and abroad.”
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