President Donald Trump said Monday that the television ads praising him and his agenda will no longer be paid for with taxpayer money. He wrote that he will instead cover them himself and with money raised for MAGA Inc., his super PAC, after days of bipartisan criticism over the government’s role in funding the spots.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the “Radical Left” was upset that he was “taking Ads, which I consider to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A., and paying for them with U.S.A. money.” He called that “a rather standard thing to do,” then added that “rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”
The announcement, reported by CBS News and CNBC, comes roughly two weeks after the ads began airing and about a month before the November midterms.
The spots had carried the disclaimer “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” Reporting from the Associated Press, CNN, and others found that the Department of Homeland Security had committed $20 million to a “National Media Campaign,” drawing on Customs and Border Protection funds that the Office of Management and Budget, under Russell Vought, had shifted on September 19 into a category tied to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act for “commemorative events.”
The next day, CBP awarded a $20 million contract to LMD Agency, Inc., a Maryland firm. AdImpact estimates put airtime costs in the low millions—roughly $1.4 million to $2.5 million in the first week or so, with later reports citing figures as high as about $5.5 million—much of it on Fox News, the major broadcast networks, and NFL and college football games.
The commercials were campaign-style. One reused material from a 2024 Trump video in which he declares “this is the final battle” and vows to “demolish the deep state,” “cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists,” and “rout the fake news media.” Others featured Trump saying America will never be a communist country, imagery of him at Mount Rushmore, and claims about tax cuts, manufacturing, and law and order. Sources told CNN and other outlets that Trump personally pushed for the ads, helped choose footage, and directed Vought to find the money inside the government. The White House video team produced them.
The administration defended the buys as public-service announcements, not political ads. Officials noted that Trump is not on the November ballot and that the spots do not name candidates. On September 30, Trump told reporters the ads were “for the country” and “for the spirit of our country,” and said he would “gladly pay the money” if someone concluded they were improper. The White House pointed to past administrations’ promotional ads—Medicare under George W. Bush, Affordable Care Act subsidies under Barack Obama, COVID vaccination spots under Joe Biden—as precedent.
Critics rejected that framing. Democratic Senators Patty Murray and Chris Murphy wrote Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that using government funds for the ads was “illegal and a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars,” and that the money had been intended for border-related purposes under the One Big Beautiful Bill. Public Citizen filed complaints arguing the spots violated anti-propaganda restrictions in appropriations law and the Hatch Act. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he liked the message but that it “shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.” Senators John Kennedy, John Cornyn, and Mike Rounds, and Representative Thomas Massie, also questioned the spending. Reporting noted that MAGA Inc. entered the fall with roughly $400 million and that Trump-aligned groups had already reserved well over $100 million for midterm races, including heavy spending in the Texas Senate contest—raising the question of why public funds were used at all.
Monday’s post does not say whether the government will be reimbursed for airtime already purchased, whether the $20 million contract will be canceled or transferred, or how the disclaimer on future spots will change. It does mark a shift from the White House’s earlier stance that the spending was lawful and would continue. The ads will keep running, Trump indicated, but the bill will move from Customs and Border Protection accounts to the political money he has raised for MAGA Inc.
The commercials were campaign-style. One reused material from a 2024 Trump video in which he declares “this is the final battle” and vows to “demolish the deep state,” “cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists,” and “rout the fake news media.” Others featured Trump saying America will never be a communist country, imagery of him at Mount Rushmore, and claims about tax cuts, manufacturing, and law and order. Sources told CNN and other outlets that Trump personally pushed for the ads, helped choose footage, and directed Vought to find the money inside the government. The White House video team produced them.
Critics rejected that framing. Democratic Senators Patty Murray and Chris Murphy wrote Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that using government funds for the ads was “illegal and a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars,” and that the money had been intended for border-related purposes under the One Big Beautiful Bill. Public Citizen filed complaints arguing the spots violated anti-propaganda restrictions in appropriations law and the Hatch Act. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he liked the message but that it “shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.” Senators John Kennedy, John Cornyn, and Mike Rounds, and Representative Thomas Massie, also questioned the spending. Reporting noted that MAGA Inc. entered the fall with roughly $400 million and that Trump-aligned groups had already reserved well over $100 million for midterm races, including heavy spending in the Texas Senate contest—raising the question of why public funds were used at all.
Monday’s post does not say whether the government will be reimbursed for airtime already purchased, whether the $20 million contract will be canceled or transferred, or how the disclaimer on future spots will change. It does mark a shift from the White House’s earlier stance that the spending was lawful and would continue. The ads will keep running, Trump indicated, but the bill will move from Customs and Border Protection accounts to the political money he has raised for MAGA Inc.