Trump says he or MAGA Inc. will pay for TV ads
Trump said the ads will no longer use taxpayer funding, but it is unclear whether prior government spending will be repaid.
By Dev Ramirez · Crypto Correspondent
· 3 min read
President Donald Trump said Oct. 5 that he would personally pay, or use money raised by MAGA Inc., for television spots that had been financed with public funds. For readers tracking the Trump taxpayer-funded TV ads, the key distinction is that this is a stated shift in who will finance ads going forward, not confirmation that taxpayers have been reimbursed for money already spent.
Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, saying he viewed the ads as a positive promotion of the United States and had decided to pay for the “Patriotic Ads” himself and with money raised for MAGA Inc., a super PAC. Reuters reported that Trump said the advertisements would no longer be funded by taxpayers.
Which government agency funded the Trump TV ads?
The U.S. government funded the campaign, with the Department of Homeland Security awarding LMD Agency a $20 million contract for a “National Media Campaign” beginning Sept. 20, according to contracting records cited by CBS News. CBS News reported that the government produced the ads and paid for airtime through an agency.
The $20 million figure describes the value of the DHS contract, not a confirmed total already spent on the ads. Deadline reported that more than $10 million had been spent, citing AdImpact estimates reported by CNN.
The spots appeared on national broadcast and cable television carrying the message “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” CBS News reported. Reuters described three nationally broadcast ads that celebrated a “golden age of America.” One included Trump saying that America would not become a communist country, while another used Mount Rushmore imagery alongside footage of Trump discussing a golden age, Reuters reported.
What changed, and what remains unknown?
Trump’s statement establishes an announced plan to use either his own money or funds raised by MAGA Inc. It does not say how those costs will be divided, which ads are covered, whether the DHS contract will continue, or whether taxpayer funds used before the announcement will be repaid.
The ads had drawn criticism from Democrats, ethics experts and some Republicans. Critics questioned whether government money was being used to promote Trump politically and whether the spending could run afoul of restrictions on government propaganda and political activity, according to Reuters and CBS News. Those are allegations and concerns, not a legal finding.
The White House has called the spots public service announcements rather than campaign advertising. A White House official said the ads were not political because Trump was not on the ballot and they did not include a call to action, CBS News reported. Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana also criticized public spending on personal promotional ads, saying public officials should not use public money for private ads about themselves.
The funding switch matters because it separates future ad costs from federal spending, if carried out as Trump described. It does not resolve the questions surrounding earlier expenditures or the legality of the original government-funded campaign.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
