President Donald Trump announced Monday that he would reverse course on using taxpayer dollars to pay for ads promoting himself and his policies, following backlash from Democrats and even some Republicans about the campaign-style commercials.
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Trump had initially doubled down on plans to continue the ads, saying they were justified because he was not on the ballot.
“The Radical Left is upset with the fact that I am 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, shortly before landing in Nebraska for a rally.
Trump argued that the television spots, which included one that closely resembled an ad for his 2024 presidential campaign, and another of him and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth advocating for the Iran war, were “a rather standard thing to do.” But he said he had “decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”
A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Trump’s commitment covered future ads. The official defended the propriety of the ads that already ran and did not say whether Trump would reimburse the government.
Trump last week signaled that he was open to reversing course, telling reporters he would “gladly pay the money” if someone determined the practice was “wrong.”
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Federal law prohibits agencies from using taxpayer money for unauthorized “publicity or propaganda.” The Government Accountability Office, Congress’s investigative arm, says the prohibition covers communications that are purely partisan, but acknowledged that administrations may use public money to explain and defend their policies.
Other ads featured campaign slogans and footage of Mount Rushmore.
Each featured a message saying “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” So far, the ads have been paid for with money Congress approved for border security upgrades, efforts to combat drug trafficking and memorials for officers killed in the line of duty, The Washington Post previously reported.
Days before the ads began airing, the White House Office of Management and Budget on Sept. 19 added $20 million to a Department of Homeland Security budget line designated for “commemorative events.”
The next day, DHS awarded a $20 million contract for a “national media campaign” to a Maryland-based media firm.
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Isaac Arnsdorf contributed to this report.
